On The Run
by NeedMoreZzz's
Summary: Bella never thought that her dream of becoming a queen would manifest as a miserable reality. When King Edward brings in the infamous Chief Black for trial on her name day, she makes a dangerous decision. Rated M for language and suggested adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello anyone and everyone. If you've been here before, _thank you for returning_, or thank you for dropping in. Please note I've made changes since the original post. Some things are different because this little one-shot is now a beautiful, collaborative piece with the wonderful sunflower **lizzolukosko **Please read her story **What If? **if you haven't already. I hope everyone is staying safe indoors and washing their hands.

**Disclaimer: **I really hope you don't believe for a moment that I own anything associated with Twilight.

_x_

_Another fucking captive. This man never tires of violence…_

"A gift for you, my queen, I hope you'll enjoy it," he added, when he's well aware of my disdain for his murderous nature, the fire which fuels his bloody games. He brought yet another captive from one of the many tribes he seeks to eliminate from _his_ land.

_I need some goddamn ale –_

"Another drink for you, Queen Isabella."

"Yes, thank you!" Right on time, the young red-headed server handed me a glass of wine.

Edward says Washington's queen should _never_ drink ale. The one and only time I was spotted with a pint on my lips in Forks I had to spend a week with the children's tutor, learning noble etiquette with the youth.

This morning my lungs were all but squeezed out through my mouth as his dressmakers tightened my corset beyond its limit. Sure, my tits pour out the top the way he likes them, but what good is it if I'm suffocating? Not that he cared - if my husband had his way, he would have me at his service with my mouth sewn shut on a daily basis.

I was escorted to breakfast where, by design, I could barely eat. The days here were planned with the intention to starve me. I walked myself to the castle's main doors while no one was looking, hoping to have a somewhat peaceful day, and yet standing expectantly were his - _ahem_ \- lovely sisters, Alice and Rosalie.

I sighed, letting go of my hope for a quiet day.

_x_

"_Good name day Queen Isabella, you should expect much to transpire this afternoon. King Edward has requested we accompany you on your civil duties and while we agree that feeding the homeless and sharing prayer is highly rewarding, as well as our responsibility as nobles, I believe we can still inspire good faith in our Lords at the markets by the city's…" _

_Oh Alice, please shut up. She continued on her rant about the shops, ignoring my obvious disinterest. I never understood her obsession with garments and stitches but as the youngest Princess and the city's "Highest Fortune Teller," it probably pays to look the part. Now if only she could notice I'm not listening, and neither Is Rosalie._

"_Good name day," Rosalie muttered as her sister continued, ignoring the inane chatter of her sister. _

_Rosalie was never kind, quite rude to be honest, but never cruel like the rest. Alice may seem sweet, but leave her and Edward alone for an hour and you'll find blood on their hands sooner or later._

_Regularly, I head to the shelters and city outskirts with a multitude of Edward's guards, not that I want to walk in this city alone. I refuse to imagine the horrible things these people wish on me, let alone the horrendous actions men might try, in a misguided plan for revenge… _

_I come for the relative silence I find in feeding the homeless and sharing prayers. I get a moment of uninterrupted time to think. I make sure the city knows the Cullens encourage reading prayers and wish good blessings on all, despite them not doing so themselves. I'm not religious, but a queen should set the example, or so I've been told too many times to count. No God ever bothered to hear _my _prayers._

_Neither Edward nor his siblings would dare venture there. They've shared a repulsion to the poor in the city, wanting them thrown out. "They're a nuisance; thieves and murderers." Almost like the Cullen's but without money. _

_Alice was clearly set on avoiding my daily tasks. We roamed the markets, stopping frequently for Alice to inquire about 'interesting' pieces, and once for her to fit me into lingerie meant for His Highness later in the night. Now I see why they were waiting to accompany me. Oh yes, I'm accepting as much wine as I'm offered tonight._

_x_

"Isabella, at least attempt to look lively for your guests tonight."

"My apologies, Your Highness, I was under the impression that you and I had an agreement." The music in the ballroom began to die down as the sound of marching soldiers grew in the distance.

"I believe we agreed on an enjoyable night of festivities."

"I remember my word choice may have been _'peaceful,'_ and _'quiet,'_ Your Highness." I replied, laying a thick layer of sarcasm over the words.

I turned my head from the excited guests to face him full-on. I won't allow him to believe this is like our usual banter on the thrones. I won't watch another killing tonight.

"You know our definitions of _'enjoyable,'_ may vary. He's been restrained and silenced, I felt that was a close middle ground," he said with his signature malevolent smirk.

Oh, how much I hate that smirk! That smirk gives me goose hairs and sends a tingle down my spine. It's become so familiar, it's a warning to anyone who has gotten on his bad side, which happens to be just about everyone. His green eyes have this spark in them, almost mischievous but much darker. They haunt my worst recurring nightmares. This can't be good…

The music has stopped now, and Edward's soldiers have marched in, dividing the ballroom. Our guests are so interested in what the armored men carried in, they peer around each other and spill their drinks on the floor in a flurry of motion.

The crowds part to let in a carriage, but not like the ones I'm used to being paraded around in. No, this is more of a crate than a carriage, lacking any fancy materials and the Cullen's usual colors.

I've seen this happen before, Originals dragged before us in chains, some physically and visibly drained, others still sobbing. Any city thieves brought in are at least treated like humans when they have their hands chopped off. Edward treats Originals like animals. "Savages," he calls them. It always ends the same.

"Edward, this will not happen."

His eyes flash dark, his expression changing. That hideous smirk is about to change into something far worse. I can already feel the bruises, identical to the yellowing spots on my ribs, and I know I'll see his wrath later. Before I upset him too much, I switched gears.

"You know I get nauseated; do I honestly need to remind you of that on my own name day? The sight of blood, even the smell of it, Edward –" He falters, just for a moment, but that's all I need.

"I believed this would lift your spirits, you're always bitching about your age."

Oh, here we go, not again with the age-old argument. _Ugh_, I can smell the alcohol on his breath. The moment he swears I know he's had one too many. I'm not far behind, my own glass nearly drained.

"So, you intended to make me sick on the one night you swore to please me? How would another slaughter please me, pray tell?" I know he doesn't like to argue in front of guests, this is my chance to stop this – postpone it, rather. If there isn't a slaughter tonight, he'll arrange a viewing for tomorrow.

"Your Highness, King Edward Cullen and Queen Isabella."

And now the rant. The lead general begins announcing their catch which I am, unfortunately, all too familiar with.

"… from beyond our marked northern territories, an enemy of the country is brought to you by your loyal men in armor. He was spotted by a camping villager and reported by raven to the Eastern Post. Our men rushed to the site and further tracked upwards beyond our claimed land for the purpose of appeasing you, Your Highness, Queen Isabella."

Edward was so enthralled he didn't notice the wink his First General gave me. Not that he'd say anything of it. They're all pigs.

"I have the pleasure of presenting to you... Chief Black, of the Quileute."

_No._ I didn't believe they would catch him. The very man Edward's been off about for weeks. Chief Black orchestrated the largest ambush in Washington country. 30,000 of our countrymen died in battle. He must have gathered all Original peoples in the surrounding land to counter Edward's plans. He had me hidden in a bunker for days with a vial of Mortal's Rest in case they infiltrated the city. I heard rumors he alone killed a thousand men during that battle. No, Black is dangerous. And they're releasing him?

"Edward, isn't he dangerous?" He couldn't be serious?

"Oh? Just a minute ago you wanted to sit for tea with the savage, now he's dangerous." He laughed incredulously while I recoiled in horror. He was really enjoying this.

"Edward, I beg of you, I –"

"Now you realize how safe you are within the castle's walls." He leaned into me, closing some of the distance between our thrones. "You want him dead, or alive? Decide now," he whispered firmly.

As he gets close, his voice lowers, becomes deadly, like the hiss of a snake getting ready to strike. And I know if I squeak a 'yes' or anything that sounds like an approval, he'll do it. There's not a doubt in my mind. And while I'm terrified of what's about to happen, and his boiling temper, the violence and his hatred for the Original people is exhausting to observe.

"Alive," I breathed, my voice steadier than I expected.

"Alive." He pauses for a moment. "Alive for now. For you. Good name day, my Queen Isabella."

Edward stands and faces his men while they drag Chief Black out of his cage, and he's not at all what I expected him to be. The soldiers are rough with him, they drag him to the bottom of our steps with his head down. I looked down from my throne and the man I see doesn't match a single description I've been given.

He's like Edward said he would be, restrained and gagged, but they left him clothed. Some of the Originals they've brought have been naked, but he's bare-chested and strong, and suddenly I understand why it took so many men to bring him here. His hair is black and long, braided down his back. His hands alone are each probably the size of my head. His skin is covered in tattoos, unlike the ones I've seen before. Tattoos have always been taboo here, but when I was a girl, I heard the Originals gave them meanings.

"Chief Black," Edward addressed him yet he doesn't move. He knows he's here to die. "Today is the name day of a special person. My wife, and your queen, Her Highness Isabella. At her request, there will be no trial at this time."

_Trial,_ a poor euphemism for slaughter. An audible groan comes from the crowd. These bastards really look forward to this sadistic shit.

"Be prepared for a trial in the morning." I hear gasps and know he's serious; there will be an even larger crowd tomorrow for the trial of the Chief. Edward is all about appearances, he likely doesn't mind postponing this trial for the suspense, maybe even the grandiosity of it all. "General Newton, take Chief Black to his temporary quarters."

That's when I see his face, he glances up and I catch his eyes. His eyes are deep brown, like truffles, but I see remorse and despair. Pain – he's in an immense amount of pain. Did I prolong this man's suffering?

"With pleasure, Your Highness." Edward sat back down and the First General along with twelve other men took Chief Black away to the cells in the dungeon.

_Temporary quarters my ass…_

"Was that alright, Queen Isabella?" He mocked, looking out into the merging bodies as they begin to dance as the music resumes. I sat, still shaking, my nerves still stimulated. I flip the bottom of my glass up, gulp down the remains, and motion to the help for more. Edward takes another pint and I drink deeply.

After I've had a minute to sit, I finally voice a quiet, "Thank you."

"I expect an enthusiastic 'thank you' later," and I know what he's referring to.

"Another glass!"

I'm not looking forward to tonight.

_x_

I lay on my side in bed thinking about Chief Black. I drank far too much. Edward and I got into our chamber together and I immediately ran to relieve my stomach, my glasses of wine and full course meal making a reappearance.

"What was the point of not killing him if you were going to puke anyway?"

_Oh shit,_ he was mad. Honestly, I knew I drank too much, I just didn't feel like letting him fuck me tonight, is all. This had become one of my most useful tactics, though it makes me feel weaker with each use. He kept yelling until he got tired and walked out.

"I'll be back soon."

So here I am, laying up on my side in bed, listening to Edward and one of his whores grunt and moan on the other side of the wall.

_Better her than me…_

I keep thinking back to Chief Black and the haunted, empty look in his eyes. I probably made this all so much worse… I refused to think about what they would do to him during the night. I feel the need to go find him, but what'll they do if Edward's guards catch me down there alone? I don't want to risk it.

I fucked up. I kept him alive, but for what? Edward is going to kill him tomorrow anyway.

Why is Edward like this? This is nothing like I hoped my life would be when I was a girl. How did little Bella Swan end up with such a monster for a husband? I can't help myself from sobbing hot, wet tears, sticking to my chin and running down my neck.

When I was all dried out, I sat up and really thought about him, the Chief. It's my fault he's here. He's here for my name day and in a cell somewhere because I wanted to postpone the inevitable. Were my only two options really to let him die tonight, or let him die tomorrow? Why can't I just set him free?

Hold on - why don't I set him free?

It may be the worst idea I've ever had. Maybe I've had worse, but this is one of those dangerous thoughts I'll really have my ass handed to me for. But it's also one I can't push away, this third option is the only one that makes a difference.

As I start changing into my nightdress and dark robes, grabbing my handmaid's satchel, I begin a mental list of things he may need. A knife, shoes, clothes; he definitely needs water and something to eat. Maybe two knives? In case he loses one or needs two to fight? I really don't know what it is he'll need but I'm determined to try my best and make my way down. No need to be silent yet, I can tell by the guttural moaning drifting through the walls that Edward's still not done.

I run to the kitchen floors below my chambers and sneak out some bread and a canteen. _Ooh, can't forget a bottle of wine._ I creep my way towards the back cupboards, where my handmaid showed me the secret place she hides her rum - handmaids have it tough too. This was the good wine I had smuggled in from the summerlands for my name day last year. He doesn't need the wine, that's really just for me. I can drink that on my way back up to calm the adrenaline that's sure to follow. I grab two knives and boots from the guard's unmanned stationary and head down.

On my way to the dungeons I hear men off in the corridors. Good, they left him alone. Hopefully this goes as smoothly as I'm hoping for. I walk down the hall and down the basement stairs. There's an exit to the yard here which will be perfect for his escape so long as no one is around. God, this place is huge. This floor is barely lit; prisoners aren't kept within the castle anymore, most of them didn't live long enough to see these cellars anyway. I can barely see anything anymore.

"Chief?" Should I be whispering or shouting? I doubt there are any guards here, they would have heard me by now. "Chief?" I say a little louder, hoping he really is down here.

"Mhh..." I hear a muffled groan further down and start at the noise. I can tell I'm getting closer by his heavy, labored breathing.

"Chief Black?"

I pick up the pace, though I have no idea where I'm going. As cruel as Edward had been to me, he's never stuck me down here. The heavy breathing becomes more clear and I know I'm nearby. I realize my eyes are adjusting to the darkness as I feel my way around. I believe I'm at a cell, but I can't feel an entrance, only metal beam after metal beam. I hear movement and walk to where I think there should be a door, but I don't find one. I can just make out a shadow on the ground and my breath hitches in my throat. I know this must be him. Did they leave this cell open?

I creep up so as not to startle him but he's not looking my way. His back is to me while lying on the ground. _Damn me for being this man's cause of pain._ "Chief Black?" What do I even say, do I apologize? _I'm sorry I told them to bring you to a dark, filthy cell, prolonged your suffering, and allowed them the chance to beat you senseless. _I doubt that would go over well.

I kneel down and think maybe I should look over him. If I could just see his injuries –

I size up his large body. He's massive now that I'm standing directly over him. I sniff, expecting the smell of sweat, but not copper. Copper? _Ugh,_ blood – it has to be blood. I smell that familiar metallic note in the air. _No, Bella, don't get sick, this isn't the time._

He shifts over and groans in pain. As he adjusts himself to face me, I take the sight of him in again. While I can't see much in this darkness, I can see conflict in his eyes. He's still restrained, arms behind his back, feet tied and mouth gagged. He's still panting. My heart throbs as I realize he must be bruised all over. I find it hard to believe Edward's men wouldn't get their full enjoyment out of this situation.

"I – I want to help you. I don't know how much I can help, but…" I reach for the knife I brought him and walk behind him to cut him out of his ties. He's still for a moment, likely in disbelief of being freed. His cell is wide open. It's a bit of a walk to get out but as long as his legs aren't broken, he should be alright to escape. We have horses here, which could get him out of the city within minutes.

I rip through the ropes around his wrists, ankles, and behind his head. "You're free now. I brought you some things I thought might be useful to you–"

Without any warning, the wind is knocked out of my body. I'm pinned to the ground with his large body straddled over me and his hands around my neck. I hadn't – thought – about – this – _I'm running out of air._

"Please, stop–" I croaked out as best I can - but I'm getting dizzy - and he's really going to kill me.

I'm going to die here; this is what I get for thinking I could help. He's looking down over me, his eyes are glossy, but I see he's determined. I grab his arms and try to pull them off, as if that'll do anything. I'm losing all my strength and I'm losing my sight as everything starts to fade.

He releases me and backs away from my body. I immediately gasp for air, choking on a breath as I take it in. _Holy crow_ this hurts, my throat has all but been crushed in. Still gasping, I grab onto my chest, it burns as my lungs expand and take in the damp air. As I try to breathe it out, if that's even possible, I notice he's sitting on the ground, watching me from feet away.

"Why did you come?" He asks quietly.

Why did I come? If only I knew he'd try to kill me, maybe I would have left him here.

"I'm sorry," I gasped. I'm so close to tears, I came down to free him and here I lay, almost passed out on the floor. If Edwards finds out about this, he'll throw me in a cell for sure. "I didn't want you to die," I choke out through a sob.

I'm such a mess. It's true though - I didn't want to watch another death. One of his hands clutched at his abdomen while the other held onto a metal beam as he kneeled off the ground. His legs _do_ work, good. Now I need to be sure mine do too so I can get back.

"Here," throwing the satchel of supplies on the ground limply, and it lands with a muted clink at his feet. "There are horses at the west end of the castle grounds. Take one and go before they find you."

I brace myself and gather enough strength to get up. _Slowly Bella_, no clumsy mistakes tonight. I've already been choked half to death. I need to get back upstairs _now_.

"And you?"

"Me?" What about me?

"You're staying?"

What kind of question is that? Where could I even go? People would recognize me and report me by raven. Any one of our countrymen would take advantage of returning a runaway queen. The missing queen of Washington, I can't imagine the bounty Edward would put up; I don't believe any men or women would be too friendly about ensuring my safe return.

"You want to leave, don't you?" He approaches me slowly and takes my arms in his hands. "You should leave," he says as he rubs his thumbs over my wrists, running over my scars from years ago.

In my first year of marriage, I did something unimaginable. Edward wanted an heir and while I wasn't ready to take that step - barely knowing him, and what I did know was dark and sinister - I was forced to provide. While the process wasn't kind to me, I still went through motions as a queen, _doing my due diligence_. Renesmee became my reason for living, continuing this miserable life. My every thought was about her and how I would protect her when she arrived. For the first time in a long time, I actually felt excited about something. Then I miscarried, and the blood that poured out from my womb felt like my soul leaving my body. The very reason for my existence ripped away from me. They found me not a whole moon later, arms running with blood, passed out in the garden.

His expression softens ever so slightly, and I seriously wonder if those scars are what stopped him from killing me.

"I don't know where I would go. He'll send for me."

I'll never be safe, he'll always have someone chasing after me. The only place I can imagine I might find a normal life would be across the sea, so far off that no bounty hunter would bother searching.

"Not where I'm going. Come."

"Don't get my hopes up."

Only in my wildest dreams have I been able to escape. To be able to escape undetected, without a single follower, free to live my life. Living a nomad or a gypsy lifestyle; I did say _wildest_ dreams. Once upon a time, that would have been possible, but little Bella had that choice taken from her long ago...

But I can't help but wonder. "Where are you going?"

"Come with me and I'll show you." Still holding onto my wrists, he's got a good grip on me, except this time it's comforting. It's not rough and deadly like it had been moments ago. Now he's warm and gentle, seeming genuine.

He's asking me to run away from everything I've ever known. Of course, I've thought about it before, but this is real now. This was no longer a fantasy; this was a choice.

Ever since my mother exchanged me for a pardoned debt from gambling, I've had each and every choice taken away from me. I've had to choose my battles as they came and settle for much less than I know I deserve. I've been violated, maimed, objectified, and neglected. What if I could run away and start over? Even if I don't know where, once we're far enough I can make my own plans, live in another country, somewhere free from monarchs and royalty.

A voice breaks through my reverie just as I begin to think about a life without Edward. "…He's a prick, but I've gotten immunity by being First General…"

They're coming! But I need more time to decide, to savor the luxury of a choice. Looking up into his eyes, I see them well enough to understand that it's a serious question, and his actions will be based on my decision. He could help me out of the city at the very least, if we survive…

"Isabella? Choose now."

I'm feeling so cornered in my own head. I can stay and face Edward's wrath for setting Chief Black free or risk dying for my freedom, leaving everything behind and starting fresh. I may never get this chance again; this may be a bad decision but it is _mine_ to make.

"Let's go. Now."

They're getting closer. It should be a while before the guards' eyes adjust to the darkness, we may just make it out alive.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hello anyone and everyone. Thank you for dropping in on chapter two. If you've been here before, changes were made to the first chapter since this is no longer just a one-shot. A special thank you to those who reviewed, favorited, and followed and of course, my co-write, the wonderful sunflower **lizzolukosko **Please read her story **What If? **if you haven't already.

**Disclaimer: **I really hope you don't believe for a moment that I own anything associated with Twilight.

_x_

"Don't move," he said in a deep voice as he placed the bag of supplies in my hands and turned to face the guards.

I had goosebumps and had just realized how heavy the bag was. My hands started clamming up and I couldn't help but clutch the satchel by my fingernails, pressing it tightly to my chest as he stalked away from me. Was he going to take on however many guards had surrounded the cell, alone, while injured? I hadn't even noticed if he grabbed the knives.

I saw the dark outline of shadowy figures making their way closer to us, still far away in the darkness.

Chief Black fumbled forward and braced for impact. One at a time he confronted the three shadows coming down the aisle. Once the chief got his arm around the first shadow, I heard a snap then a thud as the body dropped to the ground. Then more shuffling.

"Newton- Agh-" Another snap.

He seemed to be in pain before but then he was moving swiftly, taking almost no time at all to get to the third shadow. The last guard was thrown against the metal beams, his body collapsing to the ground from mid-air. The ding of the metal beams were still ringing when Chief Black came up to me again, slower this time, a slight limp evident in his gait.

"We need to leave now," he gasped. He was bent over, clutching his side, breathing heavily with his hand resting on his knee for support. He grabs me, his hand covering the width of my entire forearm and then some. "Come," he rasped, holding out his hand for me to take.

In retrospect, he probably thought he was running slow. Maybe he was trying to maintain a light jog, due to his injuries, or maybe that was just his version of a brisk walk. Whatever the case, his legs were at least two times the length of mine, and for every stride he took I had to take three. By the time we made it to the stairs, I was huffing and puffing like a steam engine.

Somehow, I managed to follow him up the stairs and into the yard. The moonlight burned my eyes before they adjusted to the brightness, glinting off the fresh dew, sparkling in the grass like a sea of green diamonds. I looked over to him while he kept a firm grip on my arm, realizing how incredibly massive he is. His tattoos gleamed on his russet skin. Just as I notice how they span over his entire chest, I also notice how ridiculously ripped he is, _oh my, his pecs. _The tribal tattoos danced and swirled over his collarbones and came down his bicep. My heart sped up, racing with the realization that he was not at all bad-looking, especially as he was then - sweating, panting, covered in blood. Was it wrong for me to be slightly attracted to his injuries?

Newton and the other guards had really given him a beating. It must have been while he was restrained; this beast of a man could have killed them easily otherwise, and in fact, he did just that once I set him free.

When we got to the garden, surrounded by the fresh dewy grass, supple wildflowers, and lawn ornaments, I wished we could have had a moment to sit and take a breath of the clean air. The garden was one of my favorite places to pass the time. _But we need to run now, Bella, _I reminded myself,_ relax later._ The adrenaline rush needed to last until we got somewhere relatively safe.

He turned, looking down into my eyes intensely.

"Where do we go?" He asked, his voice husky and low.

He was at least a whole foot taller than me, probably more, and he certainly would have towered over Edward. But there wasn't time for comparisons. _Think Bella, where do we go?_ His eyes were both pleading and demanding, and I could only hope I wouldn't let him down.

"We need horses," I said, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. There may be a few more things we need but horses for sure could get us anywhere else smoothly and without much hassle. "The garden stables on the east wing of the castle have horses. I have two in mind." I nod in the right direction and we were running - or, I was running to keep up with him. I found it hard to believe he was actually injured, he was moving so fast.

Just two days before I was strolling these paths in the late afternoon, biding my time before the supper hour where I'd have to share a table with my husband and his siblings. Now I was on the run with the most dangerous man in Washington, on my way to find horses to ride until the sun came up. None of it felt real.

Maybe Edward had a point when he said I didn't take things seriously.

"Turn in there," I directed as we ran up on a back entrance where the horses and dogs were left overnight.

Years ago, when I was a teenager, I was taught how to ride horses. It's a noble right of passage, but it was Rosalie's hobby. The Cullens all had their hobbies. Alice had a "talent" for telling fortunes, though I was almost positive she made those things up as she went along. On the very rare occasion that Edward was in lighter spirits, he played the piano. Classical pieces and lullabies were his favorites. Moments like those showed a rare glimpse of the soft center within the monstrous exterior that was King Edward.

Rosalie was the family's equestrian, hosting contests open to the public in the spring and one grande showcase in autumn. While I knew how much she cared for those horses, I really didn't see why she would _need_ them. I probably would have felt worse if she and I were friends, but I couldn't say she'd been amicable. She never threatened me, at least, and that's saying something in that family.

My mind was running off track, I needed a horse - two horses. Two strong and fast horses. _I doubt Emmett would mind..._

Emmett, Rosalie's husband, had been the nicest of the bunch, being that he wasn't actually a Cullen. He always had such a bright attitude but sadly kept his distance. Rosalie must have told him to beware of her brother; siblings or not, no one wanted to give Edward a reason to dislike them.

I led Chief Black to Emmett's stallion in the dimly lit stables. Emmett also towered over Edward, so if this horse could maneuver a riding contest with Emmett in tow, I was confident it could run through the forest for a few hours with the chief on its back.

"He's for you. The saddles are on the wall across from us." As I turned to find Rosalie's horse I was literally hauled back into place next to the chief.

"Wait," he ordered, walking me along with him to grab a saddle, then back to the horse to saddle up. He said nothing else as he walked me inside the horse's confines and readied him for our journey. Was he really not going to let me out of his sight?

"We need to make another few stops before we go, I can saddle my own horse." It wasn't exactly true, I hadn't saddled my own horse since I lived with both of my parents over a decade ago, but I didn't want him to think I was completely helpless. The stable help usually did it for me while I put on my riding gear and boots. I was pretty sure it would come back to me, and I didn't need his supervision.

Then it hit me - boots!

"Chief Black, take these," I cried suddenly, pulling out a pair of boots from the pack. I held them up to him while he peered over at me. We had been running over dirt and stones mainly, but if we got out into the city, he wouldn't want to do it barefoot.

I'd never had someone look at me like this, like he was trying to decipher me, decode my actions by looking through my eyes and into my soul. Looking away quickly, he finished with the saddle and took the boots in both hands

"Thank you," he said solemnly, almost like he was trying to burn it into my skin.

I hoped they fit him. I hadn't even bothered to see if they were the right size. How big were feet? As he kneeled down to tie them on, I peeked down and almost gasped. They were huge. _He_ was huge, even down on one knee. I hoped I wouldn't get on his bad side.

"I'm going to saddle my horse now," I told him, shaking my head to get his size out of my mind. I quickly turned and left him with Emmet's horse, grabbing a saddle off the wall and looking for Rosalie's horse.

Rosalie kept horses for almost every purpose - vaulting, jumping, reining - but there was one horse I knew she particularly favored. If she hadn't hated me before, I could expect her to loathe me from then on.

Entering the confines and attempting to place the saddle, the horse looked over at me, as if it knew I wasn't supposed to be there. This was Rosalie's racehorse, her treasured child, her baby. She's going to wish death on me for this.

She's a white mare, almost silver, with smooth hair someone was assigned to brush every day, and far from tiny. They all had some height to them, although Emmet's horse took the trophy. Struggling slightly - maybe a lot - I was startled when Chief Black took my elbow in his palm and lifted. I didn't even notice I had broken a sweat trying to reach around to strap my saddle down.

"Let me help you," he whispered in my ear.

He drew in closer to finish what I'd started, biceps flexing as he moved, quickly strapping the saddle securely into place. I hadn't noticed him walk up behind me, or hear him at all, really.

Suddenly he grabbed me by the waist and lifted me up onto the saddle. He rightly assumed I would have needed help getting on.

"Thank you," I said, touched. That was really nice of him, something I hadn't expected. His hands were lingering on my hips, not holding tight, but still there while he looked into my soul like he had before.

"Where do you need to go?" He asked softly, his husky voice drifting over to me on his warm breath.

"The greenhouse and …" his eyes were like dark truffles, warm and encouraging. And his broad chest drew my eyes in - I should have brought him a shirt, this wouldn't be the last time I'd get distracted. "Oh, um, the greenhouse and storage."

"I'll follow you. I don't know my way around here." His voice was stiff and formal as his hands left my waist, leaving my skin feeling cold without his touch.

"I know. Stay close behind me, it won't take long."

He backed away, opening the gate and allowing me to urge my horse forward into the garden. He was quick to trail behind me on his own horse. I signaled to my horse with a bump from my feet to pick up the pace.

We rode into the garden towards the greenhouse, breezing through the maze and the garden flowers, paths unworn by these horses since they'd only ever been ridden at the tracks and in the ring. Turning to make sure he was still behind me, I saw Chief Black keeping a safe riding distance between us, though he looked uncomfortable. No doubt a result of remaining on the castle grounds longer than he'd anticipated.

The garden maze had become my ally over the years, a dear and well-visited friend. I knew every turn, every ornament. It felt bittersweet to be leaving the garden behind, not to mention the library inside the castle. But if the grass really is greener, who was I to complain?

The greenhouse was never locked, and I prayed that night wouldn't be the exception. Getting on my horse might have taken a minute, but getting off was never a problem. I jumped to the ground and into the well-established greenhouse, the chief waiting outside, while I started looking for a much-needed item.

"We don't have time to smell the roses, Isabella. I'm sure there are plants outside of the city."

_Yeah, no shit. _I thought, rolling my eyes.

"Wait!" I called to him over my shoulder.

Everything in the greenhouse was kept separate from the garden for a reason, these were the medicinal herbs, monitored and grown for the castle's own personal use. And I needed something, _he_ needed something, let me make that clear. This was for his own sake.

The myrta plant was a kind of cleansing herb, and since he was bleeding and bruised badly, and I didn't know how long we'd be running for, I thought it was better to be proactive. Especially if I was supposed to rely on him to keep me safe. I started shoving as many of the leaves as I could fit into the bag around my shoulders.

Running out, I headed for the opposite end of the greenhouse towards the outside storage, which was more of a shed. This one wasn't locked, either.

Behind the open doors, I found a few vials of Mortal's Rest and the gate keys. I took all there was, thinking there might not be another time I'd have a pain reliever at my disposal, God forbid I needed some as well.

I ran back and mounted myself back up, this time struggling as the chief watched, amused.

"You'll thank me later," I assured him. He didn't deserve my sweet sarcasm. I was feeling incredibly pressured and needed to catch my breath.

"Are you finished?"

"And ready to go, we're leaving now." It was my turn to smirk now.

Our trots grew into gallops, speeding out as quickly as we could.

This was really it, the end of castles and gates, nobility and insatiable personalities. I wouldn't be dressed, groomed, and manipulated, albeit on the run. More than that, I doubted I'd have any clothes other than the ones on my back. I already felt like a mess.

Coming up on the castle gates, I gripped the keys firmly. The gates were always locked. Certain guards had keys and kept the gates manned, but they mainly watched over the front of the castle by the main entrance. The keys I had stolen from the garden storage were a spare set for the groundskeepers.

The gates were heavy; the moment Chief Black saw my third push was no more successful than my previous attempts to slide open the heavy metal door, he got off his horse to assist. I had a sinking feeling I could see how this was going to go. I wished I had more strength. I didn't want him to think I couldn't pull my own weight.

The cobblestones here seemed unused. While I'd never been on this end of the castle, this had been _my _city for years now. I'd looked down from my chambers onto the streets midday enough to have some sense of direction. I wasn't about to mess up my one and only chance.

"Follow close, there are a lot of turns. So long as we stay headed in this direction, we should reach a gate in minutes."

"Lead the way, Queen Isabella." He sounded as eager as I was to get out of there.

It took Emmett weeks to get his horse to like him, but there was Chief Black on the back of his steed like they'd been riding together for years. Maybe he had experience with horses. Or maybe he was just good with animals; he may have a reputation for being the big bad wolf of Washington, but so far, apart from when he almost killed me, he'd shown only kind and tender actions. Although it didn't change that he _did_ almost kill me. Just because he was gentle on occasion didn't mean I could trust him.

Chief Black stayed on my heels while we sprinted towards our freedom. It was still the middle of the night, so I didn't expect many people on this side of the city walls. I was planning on it since these gates would also take a moment to open, and they creaked loudly as the metal ground against the walls.

As we got closer to the outskirts, I started to notice people out of their homes. A few stragglers on the streets, maybe prostitutes looking to pick up a last fare before daybreak. None of them looked at us twice as we passed by, completely unaware of what was actually happening. Maybe the next day, or when they're informed of the canceled trial, or when they notice their Queen is missing, they'd put two and two together.

But it wouldn't change their lives in the slightest. This life was cruel and Edward would still be King, and they'd still be on the streets in the middle of the night come next week.

I pulled the reins on my horse until we came to a halt at the city's walls. I looked up to check if there was anyone keeping guard, and as I suspected, not a soul besides the chief and myself were in the vicinity.

"Would you like to say goodbye before we go?"

I looked over to my right, watching him as he dismounted, at a loss for words. The city had been my home for years now. I'd barely been out on my own, but from what I'd experienced with the Cullens, there wasn't anything I could find myself missing, much less reminiscing over. There wasn't anything else I could think of bringing, maybe more alcohol. That bottle of wine had been banging against my hip with each gallop. I had a feeling there would be a rainy day coming soon that I'd happily drink on.

"Good riddance," I said, turning my back on the city and shoving against the door.

Opening the gate was a combined effort, with Chief Black being injured there was only so much force he could expend. It took all my strength along with whatever reserved energy of his he could afford to push open these gates on our own, with just enough room for the horses to squeeze through.

I locked the gate and climbed back on my saddle, taking one last look at what had been my home for years. How long would it take for anyone to notice? _Lord, watch over my handmaid,_ I prayed, _she's the only one I'll worry over in the upcoming days._ Hopefully, Rosalie could use her, I would have hated for her to lose her job. She had been sort of an ally to me; although, yes, she was hired to wait on me, we shared some good conversations.

Edward likely wouldn't notice until morning when I wasn't around for our breakfast hour, not that I would have gotten to eat much anyway. And the servants would definitely ask why their queen hadn't arrived to complete her tasks at her usual time.

Trotting off in the distance alerted me to Chief Black riding towards the forest, away from the clearly marked road.

"Where are you going?"

"This way is safer."

"Safer in the forest with wild animals and no light?"

He wouldn't spare me a glance as he threw a snide remark over his shoulder. "And with no guards to recognize you either."

Damn it all if he didn't have a point. The sun would be coming up soon, hopefully. He wouldn't be walking into a dark forest if he couldn't navigate, right?

"Are you sure? Do you think-"

"Isabella, would you like to risk being caught and brought back?" He turned over his shoulder to look back, gauging my reaction. I was going to have to trust him a little bit, at least.

"No, you're right." _I just don't like it, _I almost added.

He _was_ right. If we were on the road and someone happened to be traveling at this hour, guard or not, it would raise suspicion. A little lady in all black and a bloody Original firing down the country backroad wasn't inconspicuous. And with my luck, Alice might have had a "vision" about where I was off to. _Highest Fortune Teller_, my ass, if only she could have seen me running off with my name day "present."

The forest floor wasn't kind to us. We couldn't move quickly with the horses needing to watch their step, but we also couldn't afford to delay. Wherever we were headed, I doubted we'd get there soon. We needed as much distance between us and Forks as possible.

Washington's trees were greater than anything you'd expect to see in the east, especially in the southern areas. All the land belonged to the originals before the settlers moved in. Much of the land in the north remained fairly untouched. The further we galloped into the forest, the bigger the trees got in width and height. The trunks were massive, as big as my chambers, a tree toppled over one could serve as a makeshift shelter if we couldn't find any other coverage.

There were sounds coming from everywhere around us. Besides the trotting of the horses, we might have been the most silent creatures here. Crickets chirped their ancestral songs, owls hooted on nearby branches, an occasional crow would caw into the night, and the wind gusted through the leaves, forming an intricate web of noise over the sounds of our saddles clanging, and the trot of hooves against the bare earth. I couldn't help but feel like this would have made a nice trip if we weren't running for our lives. When the meager light filtering through the heavy roof of branches and leaves started to become gray, and I could make out the shape of the foliage above us, I knew the sun would soon make its appearance before we were far enough from Forks for me to feel comfortable.

We must have been riding for hours. It was the middle of the night when I snuck down to free Chief Black, and fleeing the city's confines couldn't have taken more than an hour. While the size of the castle's grounds were quite remarkable, leaving on horseback drastically cut our escape time.

I hadn't felt so tired since I was a girl. I was no stranger to traveling but this was something else. My heart was no longer pounding, and I began losing my grip on the reins, becoming drained of energy once the adrenaline rush wore off. I couldn't imagine how Chief Black was feeling.

We switched positions during the night as he had been leading the way since we entered the forest. He slowed to a stop and waited for me to catch up on his left.

"We should rest before going any further."

"I'm sure there must be a village around here somewhere. Some people are kind to passersby."

His face remained blank.

"There may be someone who will let us rest inside their home," I tried again. "It can't hurt to try."

"Yes, it can. A woman who resembles the queen a little too much and a man with undeniably distinct features and darker complexion may stir up just _a little_ more trouble than we can handle, I believe."

I hadn't thought about that. I knew Originals were outlawed in the country, but for some reason, it didn't click until just now: there are no Originals in Washington country. None that live here legally, at least. Chief Black would stick out like a sore thumb. Not to mention how topless, covered in tattoos, and bloody he was. With his long hair braided down his back, like a tree trunk growing from his head, I couldn't see how he might fit in with the townsfolk.

_Come on, Bella. You should have known that, _I chastised myself.

"Right," I replied.

I was still messing up. But I could still get one thing right.

"Well, I need to look over your wounds, so if there's somewhere you can find to lay down, we should stop there."

Up about thirty paces we found a spot to nestle in, where the large trunk of the tree provided some cover and we could lie back over the roots somewhat comfortably.

Jacob's body was covered in bruises, blooming underneath his skin like purple roses. I couldn't believe he made the entire trip up this way. My eyes would have bulged out of my head if I wasn't trying to keep a calm demeanor. He had cuts that will require a lot of attention.

"Aren't you in pain still?" I asked incredulously.

"It was worse when you found me," he replied, laying back. He looked at me kneeled beside him, his eyes wary. The blood from his wounds over his chest and stomach had dried up, interrupting the patterns of his tattoos.

"I brought a canteen of water. I'm going to flush out the dirt." I said, my voice calmer than I felt.

I waited for his approval before beginning. The water by itself wasn't enough, and I needed something to rub out the dried blood on his skin, so I cut off a chunk from the hem of my robe and got to work.

I noticed him wincing as I cleaned him up. They did a number on him for sure. Reaching back for the bag, I counted out a few leaves, unsure of how long it may take for him to heal.

"This is the myrta plant. It prevents infection and helps heal. I don't want you getting sick on me."

He watched as I wet them before placing them on his wounds. They became sticky and worked like a bandage. I spent enough time with the castle's medic to learn a few tricks, never thinking I would have to use them.

"It keeps me from getting sick?" He asked, his curious eyes following my fingers as they pressed into his skin.

"It will prevent any grime from infecting the cuts. It should help."

He silent for a moment before offering me a quick "Thank you."

I couldn't have him die on me, especially not in the middle of the woods. He may have been a stranger but he got us successfully out of Forks, alive and unnoticed. Even in my wildest dreams, my escapes weren't this eventful. In some of my dreams, I hadn't even been successful.

He began to drift off and the night's burdens eased from his face. His face is dirty, mine likely is too. While I had the chance, I wet down the scrap of cloth again and wiped his forehead clear of all grime.

"Thank you," he murmured, almost too low for me to hear.

Oh, he's still awake?

"You're welcome. You should rest," I replied, thinking both of us should probably get some shut-eye.

"Sure, sure," he mumbled, eyes still closed.

I began to think that maybe he was in pain and too stubborn to say anything. The myrta was supposed to sting a little while it dried on the skin. Then I remembered - the Mortal's Rest.

"Wait, here, I have something." I had taken off the bag and placed it down behind me and completely forgot. "This helps with the pain. It will also help you sleep."

I uncorked the vial and readied myself to pour a dose down his throat. He, on the other hand, had not moved. Instead, he studied the vial as I held it above him, the fluid clear and sweet-smelling.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know what that is," he said warily, eyeing me like he thought I was going to shove the glass down his throat.

I caught a wince as he spoke, but he was too quick to replace the emotionless mask he had just a moment before. I liked him better when he was dozing off.

"I just explained it. It's a bit of a pain reliever. It will help you rest before we need to get moving again."

"It doesn't look like just a pain reliever," he replied, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"What is it supposed to look like?" I huffed.

As he was searching his thoughts for the right response, I could see he wasn't planning to take it. Or so he thought.

"Chief Black, respectfully, you're going to swallow however much I give you, then rest. I understand I'm giving you something you've never seen before, but we've been on the run for hours, and you can't hide the fact that you're in pain." My voice was higher than normal, wearing on my thin temper.

I tried to see things from his point of view. _I _knew that I was only trying to help us, but he probably thought I was knocking him out to subdue him. Or worse, poisoning him.

"If you don't let me help you survive, you _will_ die. If you die before I can live my life of freedom, I will bring you back and kill you myself," I vowed, glaring down at him sternly.

I probably sounded psychotic, but this was my second chance at life. The crazed smile might not have helped. But if he couldn't trust me, he could at least trust my desperate need to get as far away from the Cullens as possible.

"Yes, ma'am," he said hesitantly, eyes wide and staring into mine.

The both of us needed to learn this was a give and take situation. We had to rely on each other. But I planned to keep my guard up for now, though he already had my life in his hands. He could have decided to wake up later and suffocate me while I slept. I may have saved his life, but it was also partly my fault he was brought in to die.

I hoped this would work. I couldn't go back now. With all the excitement out of my system, the permanence of it all hit me like a baseball bat, leaving a ringing sound in my head. There was no turning sun was rising and it was way too late to change my mind. The decision was made, now all I had to do was follow through.

All my choices from then on out were my own, though I would have to take Chief Black into consideration. My decisions would affect him, too, as his would affect me, at least while we were traveling together. Until we go separate ways.

I didn't even know where I might go without him. Leaving was so last minute. I'd always thought about making a grand escape, but there was never a destination in mind. I'd thought about roaming around, living like the gypsies, but where do gypsies go?

This was going to require teamwork, something I had little practice with. Peeking over I saw he was out cold. He wasn't as bad as I thought he would be. As I stared down at his sleeping form, I was surprised by how peaceful, how tranquil and serene he looked, like a child, without a care in the world. His brow and jaw were relaxed for a change. It reminded me of that restful sleep I would get as a girl after a long day spent running and jumping and playing.

That was the kind of rest I wanted. The kind I would get once I laid back and let the morning songbirds sing me to sleep. They reminded me of the tunes in the garden I could hear from my balcony in the castle before I needed to be made up and prepared for Edward. If I was lucky, I wouldn't ever have to see Edward again.

Or so I thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Hello and thank you for dropping in on chapter three! A special thank you to those who reviewed, favorited, and followed, you all have a special place in my heart. The beautiful butterfly **lizzolukosko **and I are having what seems to be _way _too much fun writing these pieces for you all. Please read her masterpiece **What If? **if you haven't already. Stay home, practice social distancing, and as **lizzolukosko **has so kindly put it, "wash your _fucking _hands."

**Disclaimer: **I really hope you don't believe for a moment that I own anything associated with Twilight.

_x_

I woke to the afternoon sun streaming in from the west through the trees, saturating the ground in green-tinted light. I was in the middle of the forest with Chief Black. Four feet away from me, he began to stir, squinting and blinking, adjusting to the change of brightness. I supposed he'd never had Mortal's Rest before, considering how disoriented he looked.

"Sleep well?" I asked, only a little smug.

He adjusted himself to an upright position, still covered in the myrta leaves plastered against his skin. They would dry up and fall off once they had used all their nutrients. I would probably need to replace them soon, but he was already looking better.

"Pretty painless, thank you for asking," he chuckled and smirked as his eyes met mine.

I couldn't say my rest was great. I felt a kink in my neck already from sleeping up against a tree trunk. I wasn't sure it was possible to find a comfortable position while sleeping on the forest floor nestled between the roots of insanely overgrown trees. At least he got some sleep.

I took a swig of the canteen and passed it over to him. I was surprised my head wasn't pounding from all those glasses of wine last night.

"Do you think you feel good enough to start moving again?" I asked, expecting him to say yes. If my calculation on the slant of the sun was right, it was around noon and they would be, at the very least, growing suspicious in Forks.

"I think I can manage," he groaned, bending his body in a full stretch.

As he woke himself up, I took a moment to glance over his abdomen. The myrta leaves were still intact and didn't look dry yet. I figured they might stay on till nightfall. I made a mental note to find a resting spot early for the night.

"About our travels, do you know where we are?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I hadn't the faintest clue how far we'd gone or where we could have possibly been.

"Somewhat," he said, sighing as he sat upright. "We need to keep heading in the same direction." His eyes met mine, and I noticed how the dark purple bags beneath them had faded to a lighter lavender. He was better rested, though his jerky movements hinted at stiff, painful limbs.

"In which direction are we going?" I persisted, bristling at his half-answers.

He looked pensive, clearly contemplating whether or not he could trust me. It was starting to annoy me. Hadn't I proven I was trustworthy yet? Shouldn't I get to know where we were going?

"Do _you_ know where we're going?" I asked, growing impatient as he remained silent.

"Yes," he paused for another moment, staring up the trunk of the tree against his back. "North," he finally whispered, his voice breathy and low.

"We're going north?" I asked incredulously.

I remembered that was where General Newton said they had found him. The Cullens had tried to claim the northern lands for a while but they were never able to keep a firm hand on them. Northern folk were different from the city, too headstrong and stubborn to accept a monarchy, more loyal to their own countrymen. The most they could muster was a tolerant disregard for the Cullens, like parents waiting for a petulant child to stop throwing a tantrum.

"They captured you there," I remarked, worried, my voice trembling. If the General was able to subdue Chief Black in such wild territory, I would be no problem. Even though I was with him, he'd be injured this time around, and less able to fight off whatever search party Edward may be assembling.

"More North than that, where they can't follow us," he tried to assure me.

It didn't work. My mind started racing, trying to piece his words and their meanings together. Was he going to take me out to the middle of nowhere and bang my head in with a rock? No, it wouldn't take that much - a man of his size would have no trouble snapping my neck and throwing my body off the nearest cliff.

"Where in the North?" I asked, trying to keep the hysteria out of my voice and failing miserably.

"I need to return to my tribe. I've been gone for too long." He sighed, looking down at his lap, where his hands rested on his knees.

"Where are they in the North? If they're not far enough from the city Edward won't hesitate to send a raid team. Please," I begged, leaning forward to get him to look at me. "I can't linger here, it's dangerous." Surely he didn't need me to tell him, he was in the same predicament. "They're going to send guards to look for me - the both of us - and he won't care how much blood is shed in the process."

Something in my wide, anxious eyes must have moved him, because the Chief's expression softened. "I can help you get as far north as my tribe. You can join us when we arrive. I owe you my freedom, Queen Isabella, so you have my protection."

Tears sprang to my eyes, though I tried to suppress them. No one had promised to take care of me before, at least not outright, and certainly not with such dedication. Even when I married Edward, the vows were skipped, in favor of a priest chanting in Latin for what felt like days.

"Thank you," I breathed, unable to make my voice hold the right amount of appreciation.

"But I can't tell you where the tribe is," he added, leaning back against the tree and resting his hands on the twisted roots at his sides, creating a natural throne. "If we _are _found, and - despite my better efforts - captured again, I can't risk you giving them any information."

"I would never," I protested, face growing hot. "You can trust me, Chief, I would never put your tribe in danger."

He grinned, though it didn't reach his eyes. "They have ways of making you talk," he said, touching the myrta leaves still clinging to his chest. "And you won't last as long as I did, I can tell you that."

I paused, trying to keep my hands from shaking. I hadn't thought of it before, as scattered as my thoughts had been, but now that I was entertaining the idea of being back in the city's hands, I realized I would no longer be a beloved Queen. I knew firsthand that Edward didn't take betrayal kindly. Being kept prisoner in the dungeons wouldn't last long before I was standing for "trial."

Finding me with Chief Black would make me someone to torture, an informant. But where besides the North would be safe? We would never be able to safely scale around the perimeter of the city to head South. Even if we could, the southern country folk were fiercely loyal to the throne. Volterra, Fork's sister-city, was East, so going that way would be another death sentence, and the West was conquered Original land.

"Can I trust you?" I asked, staring at the giant man before me, looking more regal and elegant than he had in the dungeons. He was even more deadly up close; his arms were bigger than my thighs, wrapped in bundles of thick, hard muscle. In the woods, under the eerie green light, he looked more like a force of nature than a man.

"You can count on me," he vowed, meeting my anxious gaze with his solid black eyes. "You have my word, Isabella." My name sounded like honey dripping from his lips, but he didn't need to call me by my full name.

"You can call me Bella," I said, looking down at my hands. I had almost said, _I used to go by Bella_, and the memory of a simpler time spun around my head wistfully. "Since we'll be spending a lot of time together, there's no need to be so formal."

"Well then, Bella," he said, the name rolling off his tongue deliciously, "I go by Jacob."

"Okay, Jacob."

A smile slowly crept up on my face, as I looked back down at my lap, still tasting the sweet sound of my name in his mouth.

We only lingered for another moment before moving over to the horses, where he threw the saddle on Emmett's horse with a surprising familiarity. I watched him, intrigued, as he tightened the reins, then ran his hand over the horse's long spine.

"Does he have a name?" Jacob asked, turning to catch me staring.

I blushed, quickly turning to Rosalie's mare and fumbling with the straps. "Woody," I blurted, pointedly looking at the horse's raging erection.

He laughed, a throaty belly laugh that bounced off the trees and echoed back to us. "I suppose it fits," he gasped, still catching his breath. "But then what should we call yours?"

I stared back at Rosalie's mare - _my _mare, now that I'd stolen it.

"Roma" I declared, forcing myself to look back at him. At least, that's what Rosalie had named her prized possession.

He was still smiling, and this time the grin reached all the way to his eyes, crinkling them like curtains being opened.

"I think that fits, too."

_x_

Jacob led the way North on Woody until I saw the sky begin to turn a melody of pink, orange, and blue behind the forest's canopy. Beyond the treetops, purple mountains rose up and broke through the horizon in mighty slopes.

"We need to get settled before the sun sets," I urged, pulling up to ride closer to Jacob. "The myrta's been falling off during our ride up."

"Just another bit longer, we're almost to the creek," he insisted, pushing his horse harder.

The creek we found just a little ways up was down a small hill; while Jacob gracefully dismounted, I flopped off the horse with as much elegance as a broken teapot. We tied our horses to a fallen log by the creek and strode down to the freshwater stream. I took the opportunity to refill our canteen.

"I'm going to wash up while we're here, if you don't mind," he said, picking at the remaining leaves on his torso.

Without answering, I flung off my boots and sank my aching feet into the cool, fresh water. A moan escaped my lips, and without bothering to take off the rest of my clothes, I shoved my blistered hands in up to my shoulders, getting my frock wet in the process. I never thought I'd be so happy to freshen up in a creek in the middle of the forest.

Jacob knelt down on my far left and washed his face with giant handfuls of the stream. I wondered at how big his hands were for a moment before relishing the feeling of the water on my sore muscles, and soon forgot he was there. I could hear him splashing, enjoying the healing water as much as I was.

While he got busy, I took down my hair. Knotted and filthy, I raked my fingers through as best as I could. I peeked over to Jacob behind my tresses. He was washing off his chest, wincing as the water touched his open wounds. My heart lurched in my chest, filled with remorse. I was the reason he had been kept in the dungeons and tortured; I had to help him.

Hesitantly, I ripped off a piece of my frock and walked over to him. He noticed me approaching, and his head cocked to the side in confusion.

"Here," I said, holding out the damp rag in my hand towards him. "Let me help."

He nodded silently, his eyes following my every move as I dabbed at the pink flesh beneath the dark ink on his smooth skin. He was no longer bleeding, and the myrta had kept them clean, but they were open to the air, with oozing red drainage. He winced when I ran the cloth over a particularly grisly gnash.

"Have you done this before?" He asked.

I looked up and met his eyes, then focused back on my work. "I learned a few things from the city's first medic - the _only _medic, let me correct myself - who was kind enough to wrap me up each time I tripped and twisted an ankle. I watched him do this to a guard once, but his wounds were much worse. Yours have gotten better since yesterday… I'm surprised, actually, I thought they were much deeper," I added, my eyebrows coming together in confusion.

"I heal fast," he explained quickly. "Everyone in my tribe does."

I nodded, still focused on the task at hand. "Well, that's a good thing, because we only have so much of the myrta left." I sighed, pulling out a handful of the leaves from my pocket. "I'll reapply them now."

"Can I ask you something?" He hissed as I applied each leaf one by one. "Why did you come free me, really?"

I paused, really not sure why he'd ask. I thought I had been clear.

"I didn't want you to die," I said earnestly, looking up at him, searching for the reason behind his question. "I don't think anyone should have to die that way."

His eyebrows came together over his black eyes. I found myself staring at his lips, pouting in confusion, and wondering what they might feel like against mine. Blushing, I shook my head, finishing with the last of the myrta.

"Thank you, Bella," he turned and squeezed my hip for just a second, but it was long enough to send my heart racing in my chest. "I appreciate what you've done for me."

Heat rose up in my cheeks again, burning my ears and neck until I was certain my entire face had become the color of a ripe tomato. Jacob, satisfied with my work, stood and walked out of sight, up the hill to where we'd be resting for the night. With a sigh, I realized I'd been riding in my night dress and dark robe for hours. I paced back to the water, anticipating finally washing the day's sweat off my body with relief.

I braided my hair down my back and brought the long tail forward while I undid the ties around my back. Pulling the top off my shoulders and down to my waist, enjoying the feeling of freedom from the restrictive clothing. Maybe it's just a woman thing but being topless in the open just feels liberating. I ran my hands over the bare skin, washing off the grime before leaning over to sink forward. The water was clear and fast against my ankles, helping with the swollen joints. I splashed some onto my face, trying to cool down my hot cheeks. It took me a moment to realize the warm feeling rolling down my spine wasn't from the laborious ride, but from having eyes on my back.

I turned to catch Jacob standing proud, arms tucked, staring down my spine. Had he been there the entire time? With a squeal of surprise, my hands flashed to my breasts for some semblance of cover. Butterflies batted at my stomach and threatened to climb up my throat. Goosebumps raised up the hair on my arms, bristling at the invasion of privacy.

So much for cooling off my face.

"I can bathe on my own," I called to him, pulling the fabric back over my chest and holding it there with my palms splayed over my collarbones.

"I won't leave you here alone, it's getting dark."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't give out free shows often, Chief Black." I motioned to him with a twirl of my finger to turn himself around.

"I thought I told you to call me Jacob?" He responded, a crooked grin growing on his face as he sauntered forward a couple steps.

With a huff, I let go of the top of my dress, turning my back to him and pulling it over my head.

"If you're going to watch, you might as well rub one out," I called over my shoulder.

I didn't get a response; his silence had me wondering if he was really contemplating it.

I turned around with a defiant smirk, enjoying the red blush creeping over his high cheekbones. He turned slowly, but he didn't leave me stranded alone.

_Bella: 1; Jacob: 0._

"What? You don't want me to see?" I chuckled, going back to rubbing water over my arms.

He just shook his head, extending his neck forward to stare at his feet.

"Sure, sure," he replied, voice shaky.

I laughed, the sound surprised me. I hadn't _really _laughed - the full-throated, light-headed kind of laughter that fills your stomach and makes you feel weightless - since I'd married Edward. It felt better than I remembered.

I finished up, taking a few minutes to wash up my legs, relieved when the freshness hit my hot flesh. Ready to trek up the hill, I came up behind him, palming his elbow and bicep. He jumped, tensing his muscles. I felt his arm flex under my touch as he jolted back, a mixture of surprise and relief on his face when he saw me fully dressed.

"How'd it go, Chief?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Any big bad wolves come to scarf me up while I was getting clean?"

He smiled, shoulders relaxing. "Yeah, but I fought 'em off," he joked as I tugged on his arm to follow me up the hill.

He nodded towards the base of a tree, with gnarled roots spread out like twisted columns, holding up a fallen branch that served as a make-shift roof.

"If we make a fire here, the heat will reflect off the branch. It'll be colder tonight."

"I'll help you round up some firewood."

While he started on the fire, I grabbed my robes and spread them out on the ground, creating a thin barrier from the dirt beneath us. I didn't think Jacob would appreciate another bath anytime soon, not with me around.

I watched as he gathered some twigs and dry leaves and, through some twisting and deft hand movements, coaxed a small fire into life. The sparks flew up and batted against the branch above, turning it black with smoke.

At the castle, it was usually my handmaid or one of Edward's servants that made the fire in our chambers. The last time I made a fire was when I was a girl, still living with my parents. Charlie would take me in the afternoons with him to gather extra wood when he expected a colder night. He'd let me practice and get the motions right before taking over himself.

"_Fire is life,"_ he used to say. _"If you can build a fire, you can survive in the wild, just like our ancestors did, back when we lived in Nature's Territory."_ He'd tell stories of the harsh northern winters and the beautiful mountains he used to hike up with my grandparents. The auroras and the natural springs were sights to behold, but I never got to see them, despite his promises to take me there once I came of age.

His black eyes reflected the orange flames like a mirror, the fire dancing within them as if on a clear pool of water. The faint glow sent long shadows across his torso, shaping the slope of his bare chest as it curved into his abdomen. The firelight danced and crackled in the small space, alternately illuminating and shrouding his tattoos in darkness. I thought I could make out new shapes in the swirling dark ink; a braying horse, a cluster of trees swayed by the breeze, children running in circles chasing fireflies.

I felt his eyes on me as I settled in against one of the roots. There was a strange feeling of peace in the tiny, enclosed shelter. He relaxed, too, and as both of us melted into the hard ground, I wondered how I had ever been afraid of him in the first place. In this light, he seemed perfectly calm, tame even. He may have been strong, and bigger than a barge, but his tender eyes held no malice. I was privileged enough to see his softer side, and even after he had almost killed me, I could no longer look at him as an enemy.

We were allies. And he wouldn't hurt me - of that I was abruptly certain.

I'd always known about the hatred towards Originals that permeated the city. Like a bad smell, it drifted everywhere, until the whole place reeked from top to bottom. It was there in Volterra, too, the ever-present shadow of malice when the Originals were mentioned. It was there in the stereotypes; hardened, battle-seeking men and plain, soft-spoken women. It manifested in trials that were just as merciless as Edward had been, with the public jeering and rotten fruit thrown at the "criminals."

The only reason I hadn't spoken out against their treatment - to the extent that I had any say - was because of the rumors about the ruthless Chief Black. The man who was said to have taken out 1,000 men in the battle at the Elwha Valley. I could argue for self-defense to an extent, but so many souls being extinguished all at once by just one man made my heart stutter and sink heavy in my chest.

But the man I knew - Jacob, not Chief Black - was anything but a murderer. He was gentle, not violent. Calm, intelligent, with a smile that lit up our campsite better than any fire could, and eyes that sent butterflies battering at the walls of my stomach. Pride swelled in my chest when I thought about how I had set him free before Edward's plans for him came to fruition. No one, not even a murderer, and especially not Jacob, deserved such inhumane treatment.

We settled into a comfortable silence, watching the fire as it crackled and settled lower into the ground. I looked over to him, watching as the shadows danced on his face. He tilted his head back, closing his eyes, and the innocent boy returned. I found myself wondering how much he had been through before being captured and tortured by Edward's men.

"Are you still in pain?" I asked, eyeing the myrta leaves clinging to his skin.

"It's manageable," he replied, crossing his ankles.

"You should take another dose of the Mortal's Rest," I encouraged. "So you can sleep soundly, and be ready to travel more tomorrow. We're leaving at daybreak?"

"We can," he murmured, eyes half-open.

I grabbed the same vial from my belt and knelt next to him, brushing the fly-away hairs from his forehead and resting the spout on his lips. I poured the clear fluid down his throat, measuring carefully. His eyes fixed on mine, and when I looked up, his gaze was intense. I felt myself gulp, feeling even more naked than when I was bathing. How was he able to do that? What gave him the power to pierce right through my eyes and stare into my soul?

"Thank you," he whispered as if the silent air cushioning us from the outside world would break if we were too loud. He grinned, and I felt his thank you was more genuine than anything said to me within the city walls.

"Thank _you_. For everything. I don't think I would have ever left on my own," I admitted, crawling back to my spot on our makeshift blanket.

"Do you feel safe?" He asked.

I turned to look at him. He was turning over onto his side and I watched his torso to be sure the myrta had really stuck on, eyes lingering over the muscles as they flexed and relaxed again.

I thought for a moment before answering, my attention drifting back to the fire. We weren't technically safe until we reached the country's outskirts. But I had never been on my own before, so I wasn't sure if this was what freedom was supposed to feel like. Did free people usually have the threat of capture lingering like a sword over their heads?

I reminded myself I wasn't _really_ on my own. I had Jacob, and he had me. And I was free of the Cullens, of my title as Queen. A weight was off my shoulders, a burden I hadn't realized was so heavy until I'd managed to shake it off.

"I feel lighter, like I don't need to mind my behavior as I would as a monarch," I finally answered. "And my decisions are my own from now on," I added, smiling.

He eyed me thoughtfully. In the light from the stars peeking through the branch, the glow of the fire as it settled down with us for the night, with the sweet music of cicadas and the sounds of the forest at night, there was a beauty I hadn't recognized before. I couldn't imagine how I hadn't seen it; maybe it was from running or being exhausted, but now that I was really looking at him, there was nothing about him I didn't find attractive.

"I think you'd benefit from some self-defense instruction," he said suddenly, momentarily surprising me by the abrupt tone of his voice. "In case something were to happen. You don't cross me as someone with a lot of coordination."

"I haven't tripped as of yet. I thought I was doing pretty well," I teased, a smile playing on my lips.

He smiled, and my breathing hitched - was it possible for someone to be both beautiful on the outside and the inside? Maybe it wasn't his physical attributes I was seeing. Maybe he was one of those people who had perpetually good thoughts that shone out from his face, making him beautiful even when the light was dim and you could only see the flicker of his eyes as they reflected the fire.

He chuckled. "You had some trouble keeping up with me at the castle, are you sure you can keep up with me once I'm all healed?" He patted his stomach lightly, indicating his injuries.

With a grimace, I remembered how those injuries hadn't stopped him from outrunning me during our escape. I shrugged, then relaxed onto my back with a sigh.

"Maybe _some_ instruction wouldn't hurt," I allowed.

He settled in, laying on his back again, fingers intertwined over his abdomen, eyes closed.

"I look forward to it," he murmured, so low I thought he might be talking to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Hello and thank you to everyone who is still here. A special thank you to those who reviewed, faved, and followed, you all have a special place in my heart.

Once again I'd like to shoutout **lizzolukosko** for being a fantabulous human and writer. Please go enjoy her masterpiece **What If?** and send her a "thank you" for all her work on this piece.

We care about your health, wash your hands. Respect the hard work of our first responders stay indoors and practice social distancing. This is a rough time for everyone, I hope it ends soon. (Sorry for the downer.)

I hope you can still enjoy this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I really hope you don't believe for a moment that I own anything associated with Twilight.

_x_

I woke with my arm settled over Jacob's hips, laying next to him with my head perched on his shoulder. I remembered falling asleep with a polite, comfortable distance between us, but I had to admit that his shoulder was a much better pillow than the rough bark of the tree. He was still asleep, his legs crossed, one hand resting on my elbow. His chest rose and fell in a steady, hypnotic rhythm. He looked younger again, with all the rough edges and worry lines smoothed out of his face.

From outside, there was the faint call of morning songbirds ringing through the still air. The sky was a dark navy blue, with a halo of pink sunbeams rising from the horizon. The stars had all but faded away, leaving tendrils of white clouds in their place.

I groaned, feeling the weight of my weary muscles weighing me down. It was too damn early to be awake, but we would need to leave this cozy shelter before daybreak. They had definitely noticed my absence yesterday, and if there wasn't already a battalion of horses sent out to search for me, there would be soon. They must have also known Jacob was out of his cell by now, but it was too much of a coincidence for them to assume I hadn't left with him, and someone was bound to have noticed two suspicious persons running on the horses.

"Jacob," I murmured, removing my hand from his hip and placing it on his shoulder, where my head had been just a moment before.

I pushed myself away, leaving about a foot of space between us. My eyes flitted down to check the myrta leaves and landed involuntarily on the conspicuous rise of his pants. Suddenly finding myself acquainted with his morning pride, I was momentarily surprised by how very _prideful _it was standing, as if trying to flag down some help.

_I knew it the moment I saw his huge feet… _I thought to myself.

I turned my attention to his face, shaking his shoulder.

"Jacob," I urged.

"Mmh," he began to stir under my touch, his hands moving involuntarily to his midsection. He blinked away the sleep in his eyes, finally resting his gaze on mine.

"Mornin' Chief, sleep well?" I asked knowingly, raising an eyebrow and giving him a sly smile.

"Something like that," he replied, throat thick with sleep.

"We best get a move on, the sun's coming up."

"Sure, sure."

He stretched his arms and back while I stretched my legs. I felt refreshed after the night's peaceful rest and butterflies hammered against my abdomen at the idea of more distance between us and Forks.

Jacob helped me mount my steed again. My heart swelled and got caught in my throat at how tender his hands were on my sides, gently pushing up my elbow.

"We'll be following the creek downstream," he called matter-of-factly over his shoulder as he strutted across to Woody. "Try to keep up," he smirked, climbing onto his horse in one lithe movement.

Little did he know that Roma was a decorated race champ.

"Roma, you up for the challenge?" I clicked my tongue the way I'd heard Rosalie do before, starting off at a run. Roma was well trained, and her slow trot accelerated until we flew past our boys in glee.

"Catch up, we have a long way to go!" I yelled over my shoulder, a grin stretching my face until my cheeks were sore.

_x_

Our spur of the moment race required a breather for our four-legged friends. In the meantime, Jacob and I spoke about finding a meal.

My stomach had growled fiercely at me while riding, and the horses needed more than the scant amount of grass they ate as we let them graze. I'd brought a loaf of bread that got dwarfed in Jacob's hands, and I knew it wouldn't be anywhere near enough for the two of us on this journey, however far we were going.

"Might as well finish it before it goes stale." He shrugged, handing the bread back to me after examining it.

"We should probably look into finding a real meal," I sighed, breaking the thin loaf in half and handing him the bigger chunk.

"If you're not afraid to be alone for a while, I could trap something while we settle down later," he offered.

I nodded eagerly, my mouth full.

The rest of our journey was quiet, both of us distracted by the growing ache of hunger in our bellies. We had silent competitions and threw knowing gazes at each other as we galloped farther away from Forks. As the sun drooped lower in the sky, its weary light fading as the shadows got longer, we decided to make camp before it fell behind the trees. He needed enough time to scout for a meal.

"I'll be going off now," he said.

He had the satchel I'd brought from the city around his shoulders, without the canteen and the bottle of wine I was still lugging around. He took both knives with him, though I would have rather had one of them on my belt for protection. But I wasn't skilled with a knife, and he seemed to know that it wouldn't do me much good, anyway. I presumed he'd expertly use both.

"Try to gather more firewood than we had last night. Watch where you linger off to, there's a small town not too far," he warned, hesitating on the edge of our camp.

"And leave you here on your lonesome? Never," I teased, making a mental note to watch my surroundings for any faces in the background.

We disbanded and went about our own tasks. He disappeared into the trees, his silent feet hardly crunching on the forest floor. I watched him until I could no longer see his long braid swinging between the spindly branches of the trees.

Gathering wood was the sort of task that only occupied my hands, so I let my thoughts wander off. About a week up was the border of Washington and the unclaimed land, where the free people had migrated. Washington _was_ the free people's land until the settlers came.

I wasn't sure where we were, and since Jacob wouldn't share his tribe's location, I couldn't place a rough estimate. What once was a little creek had taken too many crosses and turns, snaking up the land and widening until it resembled more of a river than the stream we found it as. He seemed to be following the water, running along with the current, following up to where it began at the base of the mountains. The only river I knew of that ran down from the north would be the Chehalis, but following that would bring us up by Nature's Territory.

How far did he plan to go?

Nature's Territory was only ever regarded as forbidden, dangerous, the land cloaked in mystery. The Cullens had no plans of touching it, mainly because they couldn't use it to their advantage. My father used to tell me stories about it late at night after the sun went down and no one was close enough to hear. We'd spend clear nights laying on the dewy grass and watching the stars as they flickered overhead, enjoying the clear, fresh air in our lungs, letting the open expanse of the sky lull us to sleep.

While the land was unforgiving, with insufferable seasons and the occasional bear mauling, Charlie and I knew life could very well exist there. I wonder if that's where Jacob plans to go and if he believes the tales.

This tenuous, unsteady trust between us felt one-sided. I was entirely subject to him and where he was taking us, but he wouldn't tell me where it was we were going, or what thoughts ran through his head when he was quietly scanning the horizon, seeming to look for something. Maybe he thought I hadn't been entirely transparent. Or maybe he was just biding his time, waiting to get close enough to a town so he could turn me in.

His parting words rang in my ears again.

"_Watch where you linger off to, there's a small town not too far."_

My heart began thumping unevenly in my chest. The ribs on my side suddenly felt too constricting, my lungs beating at them with each unsteady breath. My palms became slick with sweat, shaking the wood I had managed to gather.

Without thinking through my anxiety, I threw the wood on the ground at the campsite and ran for cover. I positioned myself in the brush about twenty feet away, curled up on the ground with my elbows hooked around my knees, rocking back and forth. I watched impatiently for Jacob's silent approach until my muscles slowly relaxed, and I realized I was over-reacting.

Slowly, carefully, with eyes darting over every area of the campsite, I returned to where I had clumsily thrown the wood and dropped to my knees, ready to recreate our fire. Jacob had made it look so easy, and I overestimated my own muscle memory.

I scraped two pieces of flint together, cutting my hands on the sharp rocks, but for all my effort I could only produce a small clatter of white sparks, which floated away and died out almost as soon as they appeared. I tried a different tactic, taking a small twig and rolling it vigorously between my palms atop another piece of wood, trying to create some friction. After another few minutes, when my muscles grew tired and begged for rest, a plume of thin smoke rose from the wood. I quickly leaned down and blew on it until the leaves glowed and flames grew beneath my fingers.

"I did it!" I exclaimed, clapping my hands together. "I must say, it's not too shabby a job for someone who hasn't slept outside of their bedchambers in years," I continued, congratulating myself.

Thankfully, Jacob returned after I had fed the modest embers into humble flames, well enough to cook whatever he had hunted down. I was grateful that he hadn't found me hyperventilating in the fetal position, and also ashamed for thinking he would return with guards from the city. I resolved not to be afraid again, not as long as he was there.

"What have you got there?" I asked with curiosity, focusing on the unfortunate little creature in his hands.

"You're not queasy around dead animals, are you?" He came by me apprehensively, holding out the rabbit's corpse for my perusal.

"Not as hungry as I am."

"He's gutted, just needs to be watched."

"Is he going somewhere?"

He laughed but didn't answer my question. "I'm going to get more firewood; it's going to be colder than last night."

"I was actually pretty comfortable last night."

"But tonight will be colder, dear," he teased, a gentle smile forming as he winked at me.

"Right." I nodded, biting my lip to hide the snicker that almost escaped from my mouth.

He speared the rabbit corpse with the closest thing he could find to a skewer and walked off in the same direction he came from. I sighed when he was out of sight, watching the rabbit cook as the horses looked on hungrily from where they grazed by the creek. We'd have to find a sufficient meal for Woody and Roma before pushing them so hard again.

By the time Jacob returned with enough firewood to last the week, the fur had just melted off our little buddy.

"You're quick. You sure you got injured?"

"I'm feeling a little better."

Jacob set down our supply for the night and stood directly in front of me.

"Care to dance, Your Highness?"

I gulped, staring up at his imposing frame with wide eyes.

"Dance?" I asked, my voice raising an octave and breaking.

He chuckled, then pulled me up by my elbows to stand in front of him. Unconsciously, I leaned into him, and his strong hands lingered on my skin for just a moment longer than necessary.

"Here," he said gruffly, pushing me off his frame as he brought his fists up to his face. "Keep your arms in front of you like this, and spread your legs, bend down a little. Be sure to protect your face," he instructed, falling naturally into a fighting stance.

I raised my eyebrows. "Excuse me?" I asked, crossing my arms stubbornly against my chest.

"Our self-defense lesson, remember?" He jeered with a smirk.

Oh. Of course, yes, he wouldn't mean _actual _dancing, not out here in the middle of nowhere, with only the music of the cicadas. And he wouldn't want to dance with me, of course, because I was married to Edward, the dastardly King who had tried to kill him. My cheeks heated up with embarrassment, heart thudding in my chest.

"I thought you forgot about that," I hedged nervously.

It wasn't that I feared Jacob, not anymore really, but his hands were bigger than my face, and the bands of hard muscle around his arms were flexing dangerously. I suddenly had no doubt that if he put me in the crook of his elbow and squeezed, my brains would come flying out of my head and spatter on a nearby tree.

"We have some time before we eat, so I figured we could use it for something important." His face hardened, becoming solemn, and his eyes turned gravely serious. "If your attacker has a weapon, try your best to avoid that side of his body. Go for his weak point - like the throat, gut, or between the legs."

"His crotch, Jacob," I corrected.

"Yeah, that." His skin darkened under his cheekbones, and his eyes darted to the ground self-consciously.

A blush rose over his neck and made its way up to his jawline. I almost laughed. I expected the Great Warrior Chief Black to have seen a lot by now since he obviously hadn't had an easy life, so his bashfulness caught me off guard. _Maybe he's just shy, _I thought, though the idea of him being soft-spoken made me want to laugh again.

"Any attack from behind, use your elbow, go for the nose and groin, then run for it." He continued, demonstrating the moves.

"Okay, now it's your turn," he said.

"My turn?"

He didn't answer; without any warning, his arm had wound itself around my neck, and my back was pressed flush against him, facing the rolling hills of the valley as they lazily sloped into the river.

"Show me what you can do," he whispered in my ear, his voice low and husky.

For a moment I was still, trying to suppress the reaction I was having to his body. I could smell his musky, woodsy scent all around, and his breath was warm where it brushed against my neck. Goosebumps raised the hairs on my arms, and I felt myself melt against him, becoming putty in his hands.

Then I came to my senses. With a quick jab, I had come very close to ramming him in the neck with my elbow, but he managed to duck out of the way.

He showed me a few maneuvers, mainly a duck-and-stick-'em combination of movements. He didn't grab me again, which was both a relief and a disappointment. Every now and then he would add a word of encouragement, but mostly he was focused on the instruction. His words flew in one ear and out the other as I processed my thrumming heartbeat, the way his hands felt when he blocked a punch, and how throughout the whole thing, bees buzzed away in my stomach.

"I can run, you know," I finally panted after unsuccessfully blocking him for the umpteenth time. "I'm pretty quick on my feet when it matters."

"I hope so, you weren't so quick when we first met," he teased.

"I wasn't expecting an attack from someone I was trying to help," I snapped, regretting it as soon as the words were out.

He was quiet for a moment, sitting down in front of the fire and watching as the fat dripped off the rabbit and sizzled on the stick. I sat down next to him and looked away, feeling awkward, pretending to focus on the horses.

"I shouldn't have done that," he mumbled. My head spun back to him so quickly I almost pulled a muscle. "I regret doing it. I really do. I need you to know that."

He took my hands in his, our lesson was completely forgotten in the moment. He looked down at me, his pupils widening just slightly.

"I know," I replied quickly, trying to speak over my fluttering heartbeat.

"I hope so... " He breathed, his eyes falling to my lips. My breath hitched in my throat as his eyes knocked the wind out of me. No one had ever looked at me so intensely, with eyes so full of feeling they almost seemed to burn, like coals being licked by a flame.

"I'm sorry, Bells," he whispered.

My heart stuttered, then picked up again in triple-time. The only person to ever call me Bells was my father, years ago. I had almost forgotten about the nickname entirely, but now memories of my childhood came rushing back. I was a girl again, half-savage, and hardy, and free, running through the prairies and living wild with Charlie.

The spell only lasted a moment, dispelled by Jacob's voice when he spoke again.

"I'd been caged in for an entire week, I felt like an animal, the way they…" He trailed off, grimacing. When he continued his tone was hard and low. "It was a gut reaction, but I should've thought about it first…"

His voice was so broken and full of remorse that I instantly forgave him. "I'm not angry, Jacob," I assured him. "And I owe you an apology, too."

He looked up at me, eyes wide with shock. "For what?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"I'm sorry for making them keep you longer," I whispered, ashamed. "I realized later that by postponing your trial I gave them a chance to hurt you, but I couldn't have you die, either. I didn't know the right choice. And I'm not going to say what you did was alright, since it's not okay to choke strangers," I added, a smile growing on my lips. "But I understand where it came from."

More than that, I had seen the damage inflicted by Newton and his men, the scars - which had already faded into white marks, and were disappearing, as if they were just phantoms who had hitched a ride on his skin for a couple of days. Though he had healed more rapidly than I could have imagined, it still tugged on my heartstrings to picture the broken, bloody man I'd found on the dungeon floor. If it were Edward's choice, he would've killed him on the spot, the moment they dragged Jacob out of the crate.

"I'm sorry they brought you in, but I'm grateful for it," I continued, pretending I wasn't affected by the way his hands drifted up to my arms, finally stopping at my shoulders. "If you hadn't been there, I don't think I ever would have gotten the courage to leave on my own."

In a flash of movement too quick for me to see, I was enveloped in his arms. He was holding me now, cradling my head against his chest like how you hold a newborn for the first time. "And I'm glad you told him not to kill me - you don't have to apologize for saving my life, Bella." He chuckled, and I felt the vibration rattle me like a sonic boom.

Something was happening with Jacob. Something I had never experienced before - I thought I had, a long time ago, when I was stupid and naive enough to fall in love with Edward. Something, hidden under a pile of dusty rags and pushed to the side, forgotten and unused, was stirring in my chest. I pulled away to peer into his face, to try and see if maybe he felt it, too.

Was this humming in my chest hope, anticipation, or fear? I ran off with a complete stranger who had reportedly killed thousands, yet I was glad that I had left with him. Glad I ran with Jacob, specifically. It had been a gut-wrenching two-day thrill, and I realized suddenly that eventually, it would all come down to him and I laying side by side in front of a warm fire at night, just us two.

Maybe it's just me but abandoning my life as I knew it in exchange for forfeiting all control to an attractive Original shouldn't have brought me such inner peace - peace and turmoil simultaneously.

I had imagined my escape but never what my life would be like. I doubt I'll ever fully get away from my past, but a girl could try. Would Jacob still want me around once we found his people or would he also want to go our separate ways? He's been entertaining my poor attempts at humor, or maybe he's genuinely so easy going.

We stayed interlocked, me in his arms, him in my gaze, as the world paused for a moment, and we stood suspended in time.

Finally, he grunted and pulled away, leaving me with a strange, cold feeling in the pit of my chest.

"We should probably eat now before we burn our dinner," he said gruffly, glancing over at our luck-less friend on the spit.

"Yeah, our dance gave me quite the appetite."

Dinner passed silently, both of us too engrossed in our food to speak. The rabbit was gamey and burnt around the edges. I devoured it rapturously, hardly pausing to breathe. The juices slid down my arm and covered my face by the time I'd finished picking all the little bones clean. I almost laughed when I thought of how the head maid of Edward's castle would have reacted if I'd ever eaten like that in front of her.

Jacob hitched the horses to a nearby tree as I spread my night robe on the ground again. I tried to wipe off most of the dirt, but some of the dead leaves were stuck on with sap. I sighed, laying down and watching the stars appear as the sun descended behind the forest.

I didn't hear him approach, but I felt it when Jacob laid down next to me, so close I could feel his body heat. Could he hear my heart racing? It felt loud to me.

"The rabbit was enough for tonight, but what about tomorrow, when we need to eat again? And the horses, they need real food, not just grass," I babbled nervously, paranoid that he could hear how accelerated my breathing had gotten.

"There's a quiet village a day out from here," Jacob sighed. "We can stop there and get some supplies."

He sounded like he was ready to sleep, but my mouth kept going since I was on a roll.

"Will they be looking for us there?" I wondered aloud, still looking at the sky. "We should probably dress a little less conspicuously. And you should get a shirt."

"We don't have any money, remember?"

As he spoke, an idea came to me, and I groaned.

"No, we don't have any money," I said sadly, mourning my loss as I looked over at the wine bottle. "But we could sell that or trade it for something. I know it's valuable."

He grunted, then reached for something on his belt.

"Here, take this," he said, the blade flashing against the moonlight as he handed it to me.

"If we're going into town tomorrow, you'll need this, in case we get separated and there's an emergency. But it's _only_ for emergencies_,_" he insisted, glancing at the scars on my wrist for a second and then flashing meaningfully back to my face. "Nothing else."

I felt my cheeks get hot as I wrenched the knife from his hands. Angry tears pricked at my eyes, but I refused to let them fall, holding back the tremble in my voice as I responded.

"Yes," I said coldly, settling onto my back again, "I understand."

"You're upset." He sighed. And after another moment he added, "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"I wasn't thinking about doing that," I said defensively. "You should learn to trust me since I have no choice but to trust you."

He scoffed. "Excuse me if I don't find it so easy to trust you, Your Highness."

If I had been sure about him before, I was now sure that he was the most frustrating human being on the planet. My jaw gnashed together with an audible grinding sound. I flushed bright red as anger, hot and blinding, boiled in my blood.

"Not that it's any of your business," I said through my teeth. "But those scars are from years ago," looking into his eyes, I tried to convey the pain I had endured so long ago. "I lost a baby," I admitted.

Time froze and I'm sure that if I had ever spoken with just my eyes, it was here at this very moment.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I didn't mean -"

"It's fine," I snapped, turning onto my side to face away from him. "Forget it."

Silence fell upon us, sharp as the knife in my hands. The only sound was the wind howling through the trees, falling bitterly down the mountain, so cold it even made the leaves shiver. He was right; it was colder than the night before.

I turned my attention to the sound of the fire crackling by my feet, we'll be off to another early start tomorrow. Another day alone in the forest with Jacob Black.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Hello all and thank you for dropping in on chapter five! **L****izzolukosco **and I worked so hard on this one, we got stuck a few times but somehow powered through. She is a genius, please check out her masterpiece **What If?** if you haven't already. I know I don't respond but I read all the reviews. Thank you, thank you to everyone who reviews, faves, and follows; you all have a special place in my heart 3 Please enjoy this next chapter and there may be another update soon.

**Disclaimer: **I really hope you don't believe for a moment that I own anything associated with Twilight.

_x_

"_Bells, go find your mother!" I turned to find Charlie double back towards the chaos. He should have known better than to assume I'd leave him. There was screaming all around, people running in the opposite direction, away from the real madness, though I didn't know it at the time. -_

_\- __I couldn't feel my muscles as I followed, but somehow my young legs managed to keep pace with him. The glow of the flames surrounding me reflected in my eyes, my heart was pumping, senses blurring. The whole village was burning down. -_

_\- He gripped my arms like a vice once he realized I was following him._

"_Bells, go back. Now," he yelled. -_

_\- And then, like flipping a switch, we were in Mr. Littlesea's house as it burned. The furniture had been shoved to the sides and in front of windows and the familiar photos that used to hang on the walls were now in pieces on the floorboards, mixing with shattered glass. Charlie kicked through a fiery doorway blocked by burning debris._

_He had returned to help Mr. and Mrs. Littlesea escape. The elderly couple had treated us like family since Grandma Swan died and had basically become surrogate parents to Charlie. We lived with them now, in their large family longhouse, though during the summer we spent more time out along the edge of the river. _

_The old man was semi-conscious, eyes dull and unfocused, head lolling to the side._

_Charlie's voice echoed in my ears. "Bella, go with Collin! I'll be right behind you." _

_I could barely see through the smoke and tears in my eyes. Collin stared at Charlie as he proceeded to tug Mr. Littlesea towards the door. Mrs. Littlesea stalked towards us angrily._

"_Listen for once and get the hell out of here," she turned me around herself and shoved me forward along with her grandson. - _

_\- Collin was holding on for dear life. The little boy and I had grown close; he was like a younger brother to me. His clothes were drenched with sweat and tears, hot and fat, mixed with the snot pouring down his nose. It was a terrible sight. _

_I took his hand in mine and tugged us out the door. _

"_Bella, are they gonna be okay?"_

"_I don't know Collin; we need to find my mom." -_

_\- The house collapsed in the distance behind us. Charlie and the Littleseas made it out in time, illuminated from behind by the inferno as, with a tremendous shuddering, cracking sound, the house sent thousands of glittering sparks up into the smoky night sky. The adults ran towards us as we fled. Further behind, knights were raiding our village, killing Original residents, doing the crown's dirty work._

_I had never seen the armor-clad knights, never witnessed the deathly swing of a sword or the gory scene of a raid where bodies lay still on the ground. Never until that day. _

"_Grandpa!" Collin wailed as we watched his grandparents struggle to run away._

"_Get the kids!" A gruff voice yelled over the din of screaming. _

_The clanking sound of metal gave away the knights lunging at us. -_

_\- I watched from the cover of the underbrush. Collin and I had somehow fallen onto our stomachs and were crouching, hidden in a little cubby hole dug by a wise badger, who was not home at the moment. My hands were preoccupied; one over Collin's mouth to muffle the sounds of his sobs and the other over his eyes to block the sight of his grandparents taking their last breaths._

_I sobbed silently as I watched Charlie fight back and lose. I caught a cry in my throat when the knight swiped clean through his neck and his head fell to the ground, feet away from his body. I watched, my face becoming just as wet as Collin's until the knights were satisfied with their destruction. -_

_\- I was propelled to the ground when I knocked into Renee._

"_Mom!"_

"_Bella? __Where have you been?" She looked to Collin disapprovingly, the both of us covered in dirt and blood. She pulled our hands apart and led him away from me, pointing in the same direction where people were running into the forest._

"_Little Collin, if you go that way, someone will help you." _

_Collin turned to look at me, confused as I was._

"_Mom, no!" I argued._

"_Hush," she gave him a push forward, and commanded, "run." -_

_\- Renee was carrying me, kicking and screaming, back into the flaming village. When I realized where we were headed, I yelled louder, trying to get Collin's - anyone's - attention. But it was no use. They were all in the safety of the brush; I was with my mother, the white woman of the woods, who seemed to follow a path all her own. I thought she might have fallen to her knees at my father's lifeless body, but she hardly seemed to notice him. Her eyes were focused on the group of soldiers gathered a few hundred yards from the smoldering village. _

"_Phillip?" -_

I woke up in a cold sweat, once again much closer to Jacob than I had been the night before. His chest rose and fell with each heavy breath, his eyelids fluttering restlessly. Remorse grew to be a lump in my throat. I had to choke back an apology for how rude I had been the night before. Evidently, he was having dreams, too. From the grimace on his face, I could tell they weren't happy.

"Jacob," I murmured, tapping on his shoulder lightly. When he didn't react, I realized I didn't have the heart to wake him. His sleep may have been restless, but it was sleep that he needed, and it felt wrong to rouse him from it.

I stood up and patted the dirt off my clothing, gauging my surroundings in the early hours. Hovering over the bank was a cloud of fog, rolling over the surrounding hills like a bulky gray blanket. The river slunk into the valley below, disappearing as the ground arched into mountains, who stood stoically observing the world below as the first whispering tendrils of sunlight glanced over the peaks. Traveling with a mammoth-sized companion had been making me feel small an awful lot recently, but this was different. It was a feeling of such insignificance I felt tears of indignation pricking at my eyes.

My dark nightdress had become muddy and gray as we got deeper into our journey. I was shaken, memories from what seemed like a lifetime ago had been dragged out of the little box in the back of my head that was _supposed _to be locked shut and brought to the forefront.

I needed to clear my head. My eyes darted to the icy fingers of mist curling over the glacial water in the humid morning. Without thinking about Jake, I flung myself down the hill in a feverish race to drown out the memories swirling haphazardly around my mind.

I walked towards the creek-turned-river down the hill, almost falling where the land drops. I needed to watch my step before I became more trouble than I was worth. Though the river water would never feel warm this far north, the cold of daybreak hours was nipping.

I stripped, not caring for who may walk up and see, and left my clothes by the streambank. Bare as the day I was born, I barreled myself into the cold water. The shock was like a million pinpricks all at once, but not even that could stop the dark, blurry pictures in my head from that fateful night so long ago. Focusing on holding my breath was a lot easier than having to think about it, and even while steadfastly refusing to remember, I couldn't shake the dark memories.

I don't know why it had never clicked in my head, but somehow, I'd never connected the Cullen's to that raid. It seemed obvious now. Collin's young, tear-streaked face, contorted with sobs, flashed before my eyes. The way he had looked at me - like he was begging for help, like he was being abandoned - had haunted me for years.

My forehead throbbed as the cold water made my teeth chatter noisily, but I dropped my head under the water again, just to feel something other than this terrible remorse. I'd never know if the little boy survived. And after all this time, I probably wouldn't have recognized him if we met again.

I should have fought Renee harder. As a child, I couldn't have known her plans, especially in the shocked, adrenaline-fueled state I'd been in, but even then I'd known it was wrong,- foul, even - to leave little Collin like that - alone, weeping, in the wilderness.

After learning the lessons Volterra and Renee taught me thereafter, I knew my memory was just the tip of the iceberg that was human suffering. I'd thought myself lucky to make it out of Volterra; even more so to be leaving as a Queen. Or, at least, that's what everyone told me I should think. I had hoped, in vain, that maybe the Cullens were different.

A sob ripped through my chest and became a halo of bubbles. They floated up to the surface like jellyfish. It felt like I had enough tears to turn the river into seawater. _Jeez Bella, stop crying._ I broke my head through the water into the air. _Breathe, _I ordered my lungs, not trusting them to do it themselves.

I dipped my head back under the water, kicking myself down until my back was up against the silky mud of the bottom. There wasn't much of a current at this hour, and I was one of the few people in Forks who knew how to swim, so I wasn't afraid of being carried off downstream. It was nice there; the water rushed in my ears, making it impossible to hear my thoughts, and the sun had just peered over the treetops to kiss the water's surface, illuminating all the flora suspended in the water and giving everything a golden hue.

Suddenly, there was a sharp tug on my elbow, then an arm looped under my legs, and I gasped as someone dragged me up into his arms.

Water streamed down in a cascade of rushing music as we broke the surface. My body had adjusted to the cold water, and now the misty morning air felt glacial. A shiver crawled down my spine, and I crossed my arms over my bare chest, coughing in surprise. My eyes blinked against the water until Jacob's eyes, wide and panicked, came into view.

"Jacob, what happened?"

"What were you doing in the river?"

"I went for a dip...?" The sentence had started out certain, but I tacked on the question at the end, confused by his hard glare.

"The water is freezing. Why were you underneath? What were you thinking?" He asked, his voice low and urgent.

He carried me back to the bank before he finally noticed I wasn't wearing anything. I snatched my clothes from where I'd thrown them haphazardly in the tall grass, trying to cover myself with the damp fabric. He watched with his jaw hanging limp, in a stupor, as I pulled my dirt-streaked chemise over my head.

My hands were shaking too badly to pull on the rest of my clothes, so as soon as I was covered with my slip, I trudged up the hill, ignoring the eyes I felt on my back. I felt his gaze all over my body, scanning, exploring with his eyes. Once I'd made it to the fire, I dropped down to my knees, trying to get some heat from the smoky black coals. He must have gathered up his senses by then because he loped up the hill and started growing the flames.

His bottoms were drenched but he didn't seem to be cold at all or shaking like I was.

"I woke and you were missing," his hands were rough as he pulled my dress up my legs. I threw my arms into the sleeves as he grabbed hold of the loose fabric at my hips and pinched it together.

"I can dress myself!" I smacked his hands away from behind me, hyper-aware of his closeness. "I needed a bath; you might try it sometime."

"Bella, it's freezing. You could have frozen to death out there." He sighed, rubbing his eyes with a tired expression. "We're only going further north from here, so please don't do that again."

"I wouldn't have gone in if I didn't think I could get myself out," I muttered indignantly.

I found myself leaning in closer despite my annoyance. My clothes were damp from my soaked hair, something I hadn't thought of, but they were drying off, and my fingers had turned from a disturbing shade of blue to a soft pink as I held them out to the flames.

"What if someone was nearby? You should have woken me to come with you." Jacob continued, sitting on the log across from me.

I scoffed. "Sorry if I didn't want to put on another show for you," I spat. "I made sure no one was there. I just needed a minute alone."

He was silent for a moment.

"And I need to be sure you stay alive," he said softly, as if he had just realized something.

A funny sense of shame crawled up my throat. What did it matter to him whether I lived or died? He didn't need me to get him out of the city anymore, and it might have been easier to get away if he didn't have to hide the Runaway Queen of Forks. If he wanted to, he could get up early and leave me stranded and it wouldn't change his chances of getting back to his tribe. For someone that wasn't getting much out of me, he had been oddly kind so far, and here I was jumping into rivers and spitting answers back at his concerns.

"You could have just said you missed me," I said teasingly, trying to make my smile genuine.

"I'm serious, Bella. If there was someone here, you would have been -"

"Exposed? Most men would take pleasure in watching, just like you did." I tugged the ties on my dress up tight and raised my chin defiantly. My shame had evaporated almost as quickly as it came when I remembered how exposed his glare had made me feel on the hike up the hill.

"I'm not a child, I checked my surroundings. A little bit of trust would be nice," I said, turning back around and grabbing my belt from the ground.

Our conversation from the night before flashed in my mind as my fingers brushed over the hilt of the knife he'd given me, the blade safely tucked away on the side of my belt. My vision was still blurry and wet, and my limbs felt like lead bricks. It was far too early for my patience to be running this low but instinctively I knew pleasantries would be difficult.

He parted his lips like he was about to say something, then thought better of it. After a moment he broke the silence.

"If you're warm enough now, we ought to be moving," he murmured, standing up and making towards the horses. I nodded, but he was facing away, so I put out the fire and followed.

We loaded back up on Woody and Roma and headed downstream once again. Well into the morning we passed near a few cabins, homes well off the path we were on, yet nowhere near real villages. One home looked quite extravagant for a house in the middle of the woods, and I had a bright idea I couldn't let go of.

"Hey Jacob, hold tight here!" I halted Roma and jumped down.

"What are you doing?"

"Look over on the left side of the cabin. Tell me that's a clothesline?"

"You're not serious…"

"As serious as you need a shirt." Jacob looked down at his chest and back up at me, pursing his lips.

I smiled as if to say _you know I'm right. _

"You're not going alone," he said, swinging his leg around Woody and hopping down as well.

I walked over towards the home, hopeful. The clothes hung airy and fresh on the breeze, billowing like sails on a ship. I had my eyes on a long skirt and a coat, which looked sturdy and warm in the chilly air. Jacob didn't even have a shirt, not that he complained about it, but even the myrta leaves had shriveled up and fallen off in the night.

Jacob palmed my elbow and walked ahead as soon as we closed in on the front lawn. I didn't see anyone, but Jacob took his time evaluating the area. There was an alertness about him I had never seen in a face before, almost the same hypervigilance of deer, though he could never be compared to such a small creature of prey. If anything, he was a buck, sturdy and sinewy.

It was a large home, nothing like I had seen in any of the villages around the city. We were standing on the front lawn, crouching beneath the tall shrubbery shielding us from view of the window. The far side of the house had multiple clotheslines and much more clothing than I imagined would be here. I spotted bed sheets and trousers, a few dresses, and no children's clothes.

"I don't like stealing. We take what we need and go." Jacob's voice was low and husky and sent a storm of butterflies in me.

"Oh, so moral," I pouted, as I had already eyed down a corset and petticoat. "I'll grab what I can use. You make sure you grab something inconspicuous," _and that fits,_ I almost added, wondering how much fabric it took to cover that broad chest. I ran ahead, throwing myself between the ghostly waves of cotton.

"Be careful -" Jacob warned. I scowled, ducking behind a sheet.

Instead of the petticoat, I plucked down a pair of tights, a long navy skirt, and a grey knit top. I kept walking to see what else there was, captured by the beauty of the wind as it made the clothes dance. A few paces down I found high socks and a white blouse that would come in handy on the cold northern night. Come to think of it, these were thick fabrics and in very good condition, a little too nice for an isolated home in the woods. A thorn of anxiety pierced my stomach.

"Jacob?" Suddenly, this yard seemed much larger than it was a moment ago. "Jacob, where did you go?" I ducked under some clothes and shimmied between sheets. I might have gone in circles. Why wasn't he answering?

"Bells," I jumped at the sound of his voice in my ear. How did he creep up behind me so quickly? "I found you a cloak to wear over your clothes and a blanket for later." I peeked down to see what he had in his arms and got distracted by the sight of him clothed.

He had already changed into a black button-down top whose buttons held on for dear life, a dark blue vest, black bottoms that were three inches too short, and even a fur coat.

"You said only take what we need, when you have time - nevermind, we need to go."

"Let's go."

He led us through the floating maze and back towards the front. After surveying the yard, I grabbed his hand and ran us back through the dense forest to Woody and Roma, where they were tucked behind the wide, tangled roots of a fallen oak.

"What happened, are you alright?"

I looked down at the clothes in my arms as Jacob began folding the blanket he thought to pick up.

"Something didn't seem right. These clothes are a little too nice to be hanging outside a house this far north."

"Is Forks the only place allowed to have nice things?" He spoke indignantly.

"No that's not what I mean, that house doesn't belong to just any family. They're wealthy." This could be the home of someone important, someone powerful.

"What are you thinking?"

"I don't know. It's just odd."

"Well, get changed so we can go," and with that, I hurried to dress myself. As he turned, I could have sworn I saw a designer insignia on the coat he wore.

"How did you pair your outfit so well?" Not even Edward could dress himself. Jacob snorted at my remark, cackling, and shaking his head.

"I have my talents, Your Majesty."

I stripped down for the second time that day and dressed. We got back on our path and rode further down the slope of the valley, towards a small village with buildings that grew like tall, overgrown fronds on either side of the river. By late afternoon we were in sight of it, and I thought we should be settling down, but Jacob insisted on pressing forward a bit longer.

The forest thinned, as soon the horses trotted on an old trail. Old country farmhouses started to pass by, then became smaller and closer together. A low, rotting wooden sign announced the town was nearby. The farther we went, the more it resembled a cozy mountain town.

"Remember how I said this is a quiet village?"

I nodded. It seemed like a decent sized town. Most of the people probably knew each other by name. Their grandparents might have been in diapers together. We would stick out like a sore thumb.

"I know a guy who runs an inn at the town's center. He's as friendly as they get around these parts."

"And how friendly is that?" I asked, involuntarily raising an eyebrow.

He grinned mischievously. "You still have that bottle of wine?"

_x_

Jacob and I boarded Woody and Roma in the barn to the side of the inn, which was a large cottage with a bar on the bottom floor and a long hall of rooms upstairs.

We entered, hoods over our heads; I'm not sure if anyone around here would recognize me, and Jacob wasn't taking any chances with his obvious Original features. I glanced around at the people sitting around the bar; a man with leathery skin and an eyepatch glared back at us over his drink, a woman with a tall head of blonde curls smirked as she fanned herself next to a man who looked as if he had dipped his entire head in grease before venturing out of his room.

"Jenks," Jacob called for the bartender.

At the top of the list of odd characters was Jenks. A man of my own height, round, and red in the face met us at the thick bar counter, drying a short glass with a dishrag in his hands. He wore a rubber apron covered in scratches and long knife marks, slightly stained in the center. His cheeks shone underneath his glittering black eyes in the dim saloon, lighting up as he took notice of Jacob.

"Jay!"

They grasped hands, not much of a shake, rather an acknowledgment, a symbol of some mutual understanding. "How've you been, ya broke bastard? You brought a friend this time! And ain't she pretty," he slurred, eyes fluttering. "You folks come on a date tonight?"

He turned his attention to me, quickly scanning my face with a suspicious, calculating stare. "I'm Jenks, miss, you need a room for the night?"

He winked at Jacob, who predictably flushed scarlet.

"We're just in need of a quiet meal, possibly in a back room or upstairs. We're not looking for a bed."

I sighed, frowning. Jacob was the one who knew Jenks, so I couldn't insist on imposing, but a bed would have been a nice touch of hospitality.

"Would you have something for me this time? Last time we met, you ran out saying you owed me…" Jenks smiled, his face very cat-like.

"Don't worry, I didn't forget - gas, grass or ass," Jake joked. "I got you something good this time."

"You know, those horses could go for a pretty penny."

_He doesn't know the half of it, _I thought. I opened my mouth, ready to jump in with a wise comment. _I _was the one with the "something good," this time, but _Jay _kindly elbowed me in the ribs.

"We have something better -" Jacob said quickly, motioning to me.

I took out the heavy bottle from the bag, placing it on the bar and turning it around for Jenks to look at the label.

"Wine? I'm more of a whiskey fellow, you know."

"Read it," I blurted. Both of them looked at me, surprised at my brashness, then turned their attention back to the bottle. My cheeks flamed red.

Jenks picked it up from the handle and brought it close to his eyes. "It's imported from the summerlands, it's been aged longer than your grandparents lived." He took a long look at it, squinting at the fine print, like he was having trouble reading the label.

I glanced at Jacob from the corner of my eyes, trying to send him a look that said, "he knows how to read, right?"

"Imported from where, little lady, I've never seen nothing like this around here?"

"You won't find something like that anywhere outside of Fork's castle." I said, my chin jutting out stubbornly. Jacob glared, but I fixed my stare on Jenks.

"The _castle_ you say," he said in a more hushed tone, bringing down the bottle and leaning over with his forearm on the bar, an eyebrow raised. "Let me set you all up with a table while I look into this."

He led us through two swinging double doors and through the vast, busy kitchen as it stirred, cooked, and steamed. The cooks, whose hands moved even when they were not looking, eyed us as we passed. We sat at the only two stools by a damp chopping block.

"Our horses could use something to eat, Jenks," Jacob reminded, more suggestive this time.

"We'll see, we'll get you taken care of, but bread for now," the man assured us before he disappeared back to the bar. The cooks shrugged, making soft comments too low for me to catch over the bustle and activity of the active kitchen.

Jacob scooted his chair closer to mine and placed his hand on my thigh, looking as nervous as I was.

"You okay?" I asked. "I thought you said you knew this guy?"

"Yeah, but the last time I was here…" He trailed off, his eyes darting over to the door where Jenks had disappeared. My breath stuttered and picked back up at double speed. I didn't like how that sounded.

"Yes?" I urged, heart beating erratically in my chest. "What happened, you took some spare change from him?"

"I may have taken a horse on my way out."

_We're fucked! _A voice screamed in my head. _Unconditionally and irrevocably fucked! _

" … A _horse_?" I cried, my voice rising an octave. Two of the cooks glanced over at us but turned away quickly when they caught sight of my panicked face. It was probably almost comical. I could feel my eyes bugging out of their sockets. "This information would have been nice to know before we came here."

"It doesn't change anything," he grumbled. "We have nowhere else to go. Beggars can't be choosers."

His knee bounced against my hip while his hand tightened on my leg.

Jenks came back with two gallons of ale and a basket of bread. I grabbed a loaf and began to gnaw on it while we still had the chance, then downed a third of the beer. By the time I came up for air, Jenks had disappeared again back to the bar.

"You said it was valuable," Jacob whispered once he was sure Jenks was out of hearing range.

"Does he really not like wine?" I wondered, unable to imagine someone who didn't.

Jacob laughed and seemed to relax. He leaned back in his chair and took a mighty swig from his bucket of ale.

We sat in a disturbing silence for what seemed like hours. By the time Jenks returned, I was deep into a staring competition with one of the cooks. She was by far the more skilled one of us, as her hands never stopped working, though she kept her eyes locked on me; but I was far more stubborn than was good for me.

"Why don't you two head on over somewhere more quiet? Come this way," Jenks interrupted.

Had it not been for Jenks blocking my line of sight, I might have cracked under the pressure. We moved into a back corner that might have been a storage cupboard before, but at least there was a dry table with a candle, and we were away from the cooks.

Jenks brought us plates himself, and each of us a steaming bowl of soup, then disappeared.

"I think he realized what kind of wine we gave him." I smirked.

"You know, I'm a little upset I didn't get a taste of that wine."

I didn't think we'd get another opportunity to sit indoors anytime soon, especially not with ale. I allowed myself to enjoy the meal and the comfort of a stranger I could finally learn something about. Jacob seemed like a puzzle, and I was trying to put together the pieces of him, but there were big gaps in my knowledge. I needed to know more about the man I'd allied myself with.

"Have you drank before, Jacob? You don't strike me as a drinker." I prompted him as I slurped on my soup.

"I drink, at potlucks and bonfires."

"Really? Fun times with your friends?"

"They're more like family to me, we've been through a lot together." He looked thoughtful for a moment before taking another swig.

"What's the wildest thing you've done together?" I asked eagerly, turning in my chair to face him.

I was suddenly interested to hear about his upbringing. Since we'd met, he'd been incredibly reserved. I'd heard a fair amount about the legendary Chief Black, but no gossip ever suggested the man was timid and young. What else could they have gotten wrong in Forks?

He was difficult to read at times yet allowed me to tease him. We'd had enough silent horseback races for me to know he was probably adventurous, possibly outgoing when in his element, but these were nothing more concrete than wild guesses.

"Quil and Paul somehow convinced us chasing coyotes was a good pastime. I knocked myself out cold one day against a tree," he admitted, his mouth curving up in a reminiscent smile.

I giggled, feeling the alcohol's warmth travel up my neck.

"Did you get it at least?" I asked once I caught my breath.

Jacob shook his head regrettably.

"Not even close, those suckers are fast." He gave a deep belly laugh this time. "One joke my sisters played on me - they carried me on my bed and pushed me into the lake. And I woke up wondering why I'd dreamed I was on a boat. I cried so much because I didn't know how to swim back then."

I chuckled while he grinned, clearly enjoying the memory.

"What about you?" He asked.

"Something wild I've done?" He looked up from his plate and nodded. "I used to get myself into real trouble. I hustled some men playing dominos as a teen."

"Oh?"

"I picked up some tricks watching my mother play. Once a week I'd find a street corner and make some petty change. Now that I look back at it, they could have easily robbed me. They just watched me win their money and go. Until one day they figured out they had more pieces in their set than they started with, so they threw me out of the game and never let me back in."

"You cheat," he jeered righteously.

"I needed the money," I sniffed. "Don't hate the player, hate the fact that it was so easy," I joked.

Both our spirits were lifting, little by little, as the candles burned lower and the night sky grew darker through the little window. It was one of the rare, cloudless nights in Washington where you could see the stars.

"They let Lady Isabella play dominos on the streets?"

"I didn't grow up a lady, I was a regular street rat."

"Was it rags to riches then?" His eyes were intent on meeting mine.

"Not quite. I wasn't made a lady until I was sixteen."

"Is that how they do that?"

"It was a rare case. But that's a longer story than I feel like explaining."

"A story I'd like to hear one day."

"If you tell me how you became chief, maybe I'll consider telling you."

"Simple, we came under attack and needed some leadership," I rolled my eyes.

"It couldn't have been that simple," I insisted.

He was hiding something; I could smell it. Or maybe it was his eyes, twinkling in the moonlight, which seemed so dark during the day but now read like an open book.

"The Quileute are peaceful, but we have learned to defend ourselves and others. A select few of us are the tribe's warriors; should an attack take place, it would be us that step forward to defend our people from any threat."

As Jacob recalled his past, Jenks slithered by, collecting plates and delicately setting a bowl of fruit and custard at the center. We sat in meaningful silence until he retreated again, stumbling towards the door a little less stable than before. I had a feeling he wouldn't be bothering us much more, if he kept at that bottle.

"It's a lovely bottle of wine you gifted me, thank you m'lady," he slurred in my ear, his hot breath reeking of alcohol. My head snapped to face the man, now with his back turned, shuffling out of our little corner.

"'M'lady'?" I quoted, turning back to Jacob expectantly. "You think he knows?"

"I think you're overthinking it."

"If he knows he may say something."

"Jenks can keep a secret. You have my word," I was taken aback at the phrase I so seldom heard, _you have my word,_ but it sounded sincere coming from him.

While the privacy we were given was nice, I would have preferred to keep an eye on Jenks, in case he tried anything suspicious. But so long as Jacob said it was alright, I was willing to confide in him.

"Okay… I'm sorry. Can you continue? I was listening." I set my focus back on my companion.

"Well, we did come under attack one day. My father was Chief before me, our highest elder, but he's gotten older and he doesn't move like he used to.

"There was another Cullen raid to overturn yet another settlement. My father could barely get out of the house to join the fight. He and my sisters were making sure my mother and everyone else got away safely.

"My father wouldn't leave her, but there was still a raid and we needed to give everyone enough time to escape. I joined the fight at the center of the village and things changed from then. People still looked to my father, he was still Chief Black, but now they started asking what I thought was best, where I thought we should settle next. When my father realized he couldn't physically defend the Quileute anymore, I was honored as the new chief."

"How do you think you've done so far?"

His expression darkened.

"I got caught and dragged to Forks for certain death, so you tell me how I'm doin'."

_You've struck a nerve Bella, _I thought, Edward's face flashing in my mind._ Backtrack, quickly._

"Well, you're not captured anymore, and you're on your way back home."

"I was named Chief Black of the Quileute, protector of the tribe, warrior for the people. If it weren't for you, I would have been executed just days ago. Now, I'm days away from where I'm supposed to be," he murmured, his face becoming soft in the golden glow of the candle. It seemed like all the hardness of the man melted away; he was a boy again, with a burden too great to bear alone on his shoulders.

"They can't blame you for getting caught," I assured him but he wouldn't meet my gaze. I hadn't thought about his feelings before because he seemed to not really have any - or more accurately, he had great control over what he showed and what he hid. "The Cullens are heartless and will kill anyone supporting the Original resistance."

"And I've found myself seated at the table, with a Cullen - the queen, no less - sharing stories of our childhood and young adult lives," his voice was rough, with a rigidness I didn't expect that threw me off.

"I - I'm not a Cullen."

"No? You haven't sat in a pretty throne room and watched the pale faces slaughter Originals? Were you not silent when they were humiliated and crying in agony?"

"That doesn't mean I enjoyed watching. I didn't grow up with a sweet family and nice friends, I grew up on the street - pretty much raised myself, mind you - and was married off to Edward to resolve a debt. You're not the only one in a position you didn't ask for," I barked.

His eyes softened. Anger I didn't know he held towards me slowly subsided. His jaw loosened, and his shoulders slouched tiredly.

"What did I do to make you so angry with me?" I asked, my voice solemn.

"You just don't seem like the evil queen I've heard about."

I'd expected to gain some sort of similar moniker by association, even imagined far worse and much more insulting ones, but nonetheless the name stung. I tried to convince myself it wasn't because it was _him _saying it.

"And you don't seem like the monster I heard killed a thousand men."

His eyebrows raised almost to his hairline.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot."

"You don't say," I jeered, smirking at his nonchalance.

"While we have the chance, and I know you're at least not _as_ crazy as King Eddie, I want to ask you something."

"Sure."

"Well, there was an attack - " Jacob paused the moment Jenks barged in, carrying a load of parcels tied together.

"Hey there folks, don't mean to rush ya, but there's a bit of commotion outside I thought you two may want to know about."

I shifted my gaze, curiosity getting the better of me.

"There's a few characters in town asking some questions about the missing queen, gone the same night they were supposed to kill an Original." His eyes, which darted between us suspiciously, urged caution. "Said there's a search for her. I'd be careful, they're never too friendly." He placed the parcels on a bench nearby. "For the road," he explained, looking seriously at Jake, his head bobbing nervously as he swiftly made his exit.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Hello all and thank you for dropping in on chapter six. **Lizzolukosco **and I had a great time bringing this one to life. Please check out her masterpiece **What If?** if you haven't already, she's got such talent. Thank you to everyone who reviews, faves, and follows; your thoughts make my day brighter.

My thoughts go out to anyone experiencing tough times right now. Take every chance to spread love and appreciate others, please.

**Disclaimer: **I really hope you don't believe for a moment that I own anything associated with Twilight.

_x_

The old broom closet was suddenly much too cramped. Both of us sprang to our feet, shoving our chairs behind us with a grating squeak. We rushed out through the back door of the kitchen and back to Woody and Roma. At some point, Jacob must have grabbed some butcher's twine, but I didn't see where he got it before he was securing the parcels onto Woody's saddle with it.

The light from the stars was no longer inviting. It felt like a spotlight, leading the guards towards the fugitives they were looking for. I would have preferred the dark shadows of the forest.

"We have to get out of here," I said, grasping Jacob's arm as he finished strapping the saddle down on Woody. Our eyes met for only an instant, but something shifted; suddenly I wasn't looking at a stranger anymore.

"We're leaving," he assured me, his face blank with shock.

We were walking past the kitchen's back door - kept open to let out the heat from the ovens - when we heard a scuffle by the bar. Jacob clicked his tongue and the horses moved faster, until we were out of the alley between the barn and the kitchen. He lifted me onto Roma, and this time I didn't protest. I felt oddly dizzy from his touch, like a spell had been cast.

Once we were on the street, we pulled our hoods over our heads and tried very hard not to be conspicuous. I pulled my knitted shawl closer over my body, shrinking into it like a turtle into its shell. I wanted to book it, but whenever I tried to urge Roma faster, Jacob pulled us back.

"You'll attract more attention running," he warned.

Logically, I knew he was right. But when I saw the green and gray armor of the Cullen's scattered around the road, it was all I could do not to break into a full-out gallop. The townspeople were getting wise to the new arrivals; voices raised in the street, and a crowd was starting to gather up ahead.

"Can we pick up the pace, please?" I begged.

I had a bad feeling something was about to happen. Not only was it dark and we wouldn't be able to see much, but finding a safe place to set up for the night would be especially difficult. I could see Jacob's grip on the reins getting tighter, his knuckles whitening.

"Once we get out of the town's center we can take off," he murmured. He squared his jaw, clearly on edge. The sound of metal clanging and a horse's trots behind us drew my attention, and I fought the urge to turn my head.

"You there," a deep voice called after us, or I had assumed it was us. It was definitely us, but that didn't halter our forward motion.

If we made a break for it, he'd follow us for sure. But what were the chances of him letting us go if we allowed him to stop us? Would he only ask us a few questions or would he recognize me? Would he recognize Jacob? Would he even care who Jacob was besides obviously being an Original? I didn't put anything past one of the Cullen's guards.

"Jake," I whispered, but he was so visibly lost in his own thoughts I doubt he heard me.

"Hold it there!"

The voice was much closer this time. Jacob tilted his head towards me, and just under his breath whispered what I knew would send my mind into a frenzy.

"Run for it," he said as he took off with Woody.

I sped off with Roma, picking up the pace as we ran through the town, reaching its outskirts. Although Jacob was ahead of me not a moment ago, Roma had caught up and we were soon to pass them by. Our silent races over the last few days seemed like child's play compared to the awful thrill of being chased down.

I turned my head back to see how far ahead I had pulled. I didn't expect to see him meters behind me. It'd be easy now to run on my own and leave him behind. With the chief in tow, would they bother to continue looking for me?

Shame, hot and red and burning, filled my stomach. Jacob had been nothing but a gentleman, for the most part, more so now than when we'd first met. He wasn't like any other man I had ever met; he was respectful, and kind, with the sort of face that only a mother's soft touch could raise. He watched out for me, kept me safe during our journey north. How could the thought have even occurred to me?

Now, much farther away since a few seconds ago, Jacob and Woody veered off to the left with the man on their heels. I doubled back without thinking about what I'd do next. Roma was even faster than I thought, catching up to them before I could think of a plan. I saw the man had drawn his sword, readying his attack as he galloped closer.

"Jacob!" I called out for him to let him know I was behind, though it also alerted our pursuer.

All I had was the knife Jacob had given me the night before. Could I take down a man in armor with a single knife? If I didn't at least _try_ something - or even anything at all - Jacob would be swiped through almost exactly like Charlie had been.

I'd been a bystander to my own life for years, acting like things were out of my hands. I'd made it this far, but only by sacrificing my own morals and going against what I knew to be right. I resolved then that if I made it out of this alive, I would give the rest of my life to being part of the fray, not a witness to the horrific acts of violence, but a force working against it.

Swinging my leg over, I rode side straddle long enough to get a good grip on the knife in my hand. _Take a leap of faith, _I thought, trembling before what could have been my last moments. I braced myself as I pushed off Roma, suspended in mid-air for only a moment before crashing into the hard metal of the man's armor with a loud _clunk. _

My force knocked him off of his horse and onto the unforgiving forest floor. I felt each scrape and bump as his armor warped, becoming sharp against my ribs, but I didn't let it stop me. I threw the hand with the knife around blindly, until finally, the blade slipped into something solid.

My entire body was forcefully thrown into a tree by the momentum, my head thumping against the trunk last. My sight became blurred, tilting upside down, obscuring my vision. I fell to the ground and while I thought I was looking up, I could only see dark circles, which were fading all too slowly. My ears rang like an insistent dinner bell. I heard the man grunting, but he was able to shuffle around, so he was better off than I was.

"What a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty," the knight commented bitterly.

Trying to lift myself up, I shifted all my weight on my arms and willed myself to stand, lightheadedness be damned. The man stalked towards me, like a lion, his shoulders slinking up and down as he eyed his prey, but he was unsteady, his steps wobbling with uncertainty.

I was surprised to recognize his face, though I didn't know his name. I had seen him on the castle's grounds before, a few times around the gardens.

Unbeknownst to either of us, those faltering steps were his last. Jacob plunged the man's own own sword into his body from behind, stopping him in his tracks. His face was pale, and for a moment I watched as his eyes grew wide, with a final, gasping breath. As the sword withdrew, his face turned blank and solid, almost gray in the faint moonlight - and in the same moment, he fell to the ground, struggling like a fish out of water.

I stood, leaning back against the tree's trunk for support as I watched him take his last breaths. It felt like I was outside of my body, watching from the boughs of the tree above as the guard finally fell limp. Jacob approached my side, frantically looking over my body. I didn't realize his hands were on me until he spoke, bringing me back down to earth with a sharp tug.

"Are you alright?" He asked breathlessly, his hands in my hair - then at my shoulders, then on my hips, assuring himself I was all in one piece. It was a question I knew I didn't have to answer, Jacob would figure out on his own with this full-body inspection.

"We should move the body," I turned to address him face to face. My voice sounded distant, like it came from someone else. "In case anyone else comes up this way."

"Okay. There has to be a cave around somewhere."

"I'll help you move him."

"I can move him, you stay put. Wait here."

Jacob ran off for only a few minutes and returned only to pick the body up with ease and disappear again. I sauntered over to Roma, ready to leave the scene behind me.

"Let me help you up," Jacob whispered in my ear. I jumped at the sudden sound when he palmed my elbow like he usually did.

"How do you do that?" I asked accusingly, my eyes stinging against the cold night air.

"Sorry, it's only me," he whispered. He attempted to look me over again, but I needed to get out of there.

"I'll be fine, let's go, please. I don't want to be here any longer."

"Sure, sure."

_x_

We traveled into the early morning hours, and while my body should have been insistent on sleeping, I was still on high alert.

"A little farther down the river there's a house we can stay at," Jacob informed me once the sun had begun its ascent over the mountains.

"You know someone else that lives around here?"

"No, the house is empty," Jacob said simply. I got the impression that was all he was willing to say.

We rode up uphill for a few minutes, leaving behind the curbside of the familiar river.

On the other side of the thick wall of trees, there was a large clearing of overgrown grass, rippling in the light breeze like gusts of wind on a lake. The sun was melting over the horizon like an orange pat of butter, and just beneath the shadow of the mountains, a house seemed to grow up from the bare earth. Two ancient willows stood as companions to it on either side, their branches reaching over the roof and brushing the stone chimney. Morning glories and climbing ivy had replaced whatever color it had been painted originally, growing so rampant and unchecked that they'd infiltrated the windows, squeezing themselves through the glass and reaching through the rooms like arms, offering up the blooms in their palms like penance for breaking in.

The wooden frame was rough and split out through the climbing ivy-like swords, threatening to jab anyone who dared to stray too close. A few panels had fallen off the roof, leaving gaping holes where the sun could shine through, but it was the safest cover we'd find. We tied up Woody and Roma underneath the tatty awning and hurried inside.

I tested the steps first since Jacob might have been able to knock over the whole thing with a swipe of his hand, even if it was solidly built. The wood groaned and protested, but proved sound under my feet. Jacob's legs were long enough that he didn't need to use the stairs; he was able to lift himself onto the porch with minimal effort and a surprising litheness.

As rosy-fingered dawn creeped upon the horizon, I realized we had both been up since the sun rose the day before. I felt the fatigue growing on me like another pair of arms, too heavy to carry. Even Jake was looking weary; his shoulders hung low as he piled up some twigs and leaves into the black fireplace. He broke off a couple of small branches from one of the willows encroaching through where there had once been a window frame and threw them onto the low flames.

Without speaking, we both began setting up our little nest. Jacob stoked the fire while I unfurled our new blanket onto the floor of the abandoned, empty sitting room. He went outside to grab the parcels from Woody's back while I wrapped up his discarded fur into a pillow. When he returned, he placed the knight's sword by the entrance - I didn't realize he had kept anything of the knight's - and threw the parcels into a corner of the room while I threw a few nuts into the fire. A minute later, I used a forgotten wrought-iron poker to draw them out, while Jake sat down in front of the fire and picked them up with a piece of cloth.

"You sure you're alright?" He asked when I sat down next to him, handing me one of the blackened nuts.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before. I expected someone to come questioning at some point." I pulled out our canteen to take a much-needed drink of water. My head was throbbing where it collided with the tree. I touched it gingerly and felt the beginnings of what I was sure would be a giant, swollen, purple lump. When I took a deep breath I felt a deep ache in my ribs, like my ribs had been bashed in.

"Bella, you don't look well. Don't you have any of that painkiller?"

"You're right, there's some left," I whispered weakly. I hadn't thought about what else we still had. I crawled over to my bag, hanging next to my belt over the hearth, and brought out the tiny vial of mortal's rest and lifted it to my lips.

"You want some?" I asked, handing it to him.

I was too tired; there was a deep, chilly feeling, knocking me down the way a November wind tears the final, rotting leaves of the season from their branches. I collapsed on the floor next to Jacob, curling up beside him. He smelled like musk and pine, earthy and comforting. At this moment, I didn't really care who he was; we needed each other, and I felt safe when I was near him.

He had downed the rest of what was in the little vial, returning it to the bag from where I pulled it out. There was a crunching sound as I rested my head on the rolled-up fur coat behind us. I looked down to see the remains of a crunched-up myrta leaf fall between us from where his shirt rode up. If I had been able to feel anything, I might have been surprised when I saw his flawless, smooth skin beneath it - there wasn't even a scar. But I couldn't. So I said, "that's strange," and left it at that.

"What's strange?" Jacob asked.

I ignored him. "We should sleep in tomorrow morning," I mumbled. "If not for my sake, then for Woody and Roma. They must be beat," I sighed.

"Jenks fed them, at least. And one of the parcels has feed for 'em. We can let them wake us up when they get hungry. _You _on the other hand look like you got the bad end of a crowbar," he admonished, brushing back a piece of hair from my face.

I realized, suddenly, that I wasn't feeling nothing - I was feeling everything, all at once. Like suddenly becoming aware of an ache that you've had for years, it felt like my heart had gotten stuck in the back of my throat, and I choked it out with a sob.

"Oh, Jacob, I wish I hadn't seen half the things I've seen," I wept openly. "Seeing that man die wasn't half as bad as any of it all, but then why does it still hurt?"

Jacob opened his mouth as if to say something, but I cut him off, not done blubbering.

"Charlie - my father - he must have -" I coughed out between sobs. "He died - just like you - almost did." I took a deep breath, trying to collect myself.

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked, his hands on my shoulders.

"He was killed by one of the Cullen's guards," I explained with a sniff. He held me closer with the arm he had placed around my shoulders, like he was trying to protect me from the demons of my past. "They came to remove the Originals off the land."

"What were you doing on Original land?"

"My grandmother was an Original. And the village was fairly mixed," I added. He seemed to be at a loss for words, and I could guess as to why. Edward had an inexplicable hatred for Originals that his wife being one made no sense, but my skin was so pale not one Cullen had ever thought to ask where my family was from.

"That's not something I could share in Forks, obviously. I wouldn't have lived as long as I have. The trials the court held against criminals and Originals all ended the same - in public executions and ridicule. There was no stopping them."

"But you still married him."

It wasn't a question or much of a comment. He stated a fact that I had to live with, though it wasn't bitter or grating like it had been when we were at Jenks'. Somehow we had circled back to our conversation from the night before, and in this high state from the mortal's rest, I couldn't be bothered to hide my past any longer. Did he feel it, too? This removal of the wall between us - not as if we'd broken it down, but as if it had never been there in the first place.

"I did marry him." I sighed. "Like I said at Jenks', I was married off to resolve a debt. Back when I was a girl, I only dreamed of being a queen. It seemed like they got all the pretty clothes and fancy things. My mother always wanted nice things, and she thanked God that I was pretty, because that meant I could marry rich. Then, when I was stuck in Volterra, I was just desperate to get out."

"How did you end up in Volterra?"

"Is this an interrogation?" I laughed. It sounded distant, like the sound hadn't come from my body. He hadn't asked so much about me before, and I didn't see why he was so interested to know more all of a sudden.

"No, I'm sorry. I just - I can't see how someone like you could end up married to someone like him."

"Someone like me?" I craned my neck to look back towards him now as we both laid on the floor, raising an eyebrow.

"After all I've heard about Washington's queen, I never expected she would have helped me escape, and less so for her to run with me."

I sighed again. I'd gained a reputation as someone I wasn't because of my compliance.

"If I could turn back time and do things differently, I would change so much."

"What would you change?"

"When my father died, it was in the middle of a raid. We were helping a couple and their grandson, Collin, who had taken us in and treated us like family. My father and Collin's grandparents didn't make it. I took Collin with me to go find my mother but when we found her, she sent him away. I was furious and hysterical, and he didn't understand so he ran when he was told.

"I wouldn't have been able to stop the raid, or my family being killed, but I should have gone with Collin. Or brought him with us. If he survived that night, he didn't have any family with him. He should have at least had his older sister."

"So where did you go?"

"My mother dragged me with her to a guard's keep. We met with a knight who took us to his home in Volterra. He and my mother married and lived like bachelors, so I spent most of my days on the street. Then one day, a few knights picked me up out of the markets and dragged me in to see the Volturi where my mother was waiting.

"She was on trial for a gambling debt, and you know how trials end. Instead, my mother offered _me_ in exchange for a pardon because she heard the King was looking for a wife for his son. I was thirteen at the time, but they agreed to keep me - to groom me."

"Groom you?"

"Do you believe in magic, Jacob?" I asked as I turned to stare at the ceiling above us.

The effects of the mortal's rest were heavy in my system, especially now as he held me close to his warm body and his eyes were boring into me like nails driven into a door. If the mortal's rest wasn't enough of a high, I would've been drunk off his scent and warmth alone.

"I believe there's magic hidden in this world, much of it hiding in plain sight, " he whispered.

"The Volturi were grooming people with talents, training them to use dark magic. They thought I could protect others with my thoughts. It seemed far fetched until I saw a girl hurt someone with her mind. I know it sounds crazy - maybe it was just the fear I felt at the time - but it looked real."

"So did you - did you use this magic? Have you got some powers I don't know about?" He asked, grinning lazily.

"I don't know. The girl - Jane - could make people feel pain, but sometimes she couldn't; and when I focused, sometimes they felt discomfort, and sometimes they didn't. It wasn't an exact science," I explained.

"They had planned to offer someone with special abilities to the Cullens in exchange for one of their own - Edward's sister, Alice, who could make predictions. Maybe if they had trained her she could've been the fortune teller she believes she is," I added, rolling my eyes.

"I lived in Volterra until it was time for Edward to marry; I thought I'd be safer if they took me. At least I wouldn't have to worry about dark magic. I could be a Queen and live a peaceful life. I didn't know Edward had his own abilities."

"What can he do?"

"He can read people, almost like he's reading their mind, but his talent for some reason wouldn't work on me. I concluded it was because of my 'shield' ability and left it at that."

I shrugged, looking up at Jacob with an apologetic expression. He was staring at the fire now, ignoring me completely. Then he started talking.

"I heard about your engagement to him. The Quileutes still lived on the coast at that time, in La Push. We lived peacefully before Edward was crowned King. Then there were settlers who came in and built. They were nice enough until their numbers grew. When more structures went up, we started protesting, but our people started disappearing. They just vanished - like they had never existed.

"When we heard the King had married, I was old enough to be included in our council meetings; they were debating whether or not we should migrate, and if so, where. Then the knights showed up. They came to remove us overnight; to burn down houses and kill our people. This was the night I joined our warriors to make sure everyone made it out alive."

"Where did you go?" I asked, filled with curiosity now that he was finally giving me answers.

"We migrated north to Elwha Valley and we stayed as far away from the country folk as possible. We thought we'd be safe there."

"But Elwha is so close to the city, why would you run there?"

His brows furrowed just as mine had. "No, it's the northernmost valley, before the border to Nature's Territory."

"How could that be? Edward told me Elwha was near Forks." I scrunched up my nose in thought. Hadn't that been where Edward said the Originals attacked? "You attacked and Forks went on lockdown."

"Bella, what are you saying? Elwha Valley is nowhere near Forks. We were attacked for establishing independence from Washington."

"Were you attacked or did you lead an attack against Washington at Elwha?" I asked abruptly, trying to sort out my fuzzy thoughts so they made sense. Edward told me a thousand men had been killed in a surprise attack, led by none other than the notorious Chief Black. Was I supposed to believe that Elwha was a far off valley and the Cullens attacked it? If that were true, could I trust anything Edward told me? What if my whole life at the castle had been a lie?

"I told you the Quileute are peaceful people," he reminded me, his voice calm and quiet, though his tensing muscles betrayed his inner turmoil. "We only fight to defend ourselves; we left La Push after King Eddie was crowned. We lived in peace with some other tribes for a while until we were attacked by a small army. It took all of our people to fight them off."

The more I thought about it, the less inconceivable it seemed. I knew firsthand how ruthless the Cullens were. I had been there when the Cullens sent for my village all those years ago. I saw the repeated murders of Originals solely because they existed in a cruel world. Had I been so disconnected that I believed Elwha was just a village close to Forks? This was news to me. Jacob studied my blank, shocked expression, and continued.

"You were the queen and you didn't know where Elwha was?"

"I'd never been to school to learn and I never left the city. It wasn't something a queen needed to know."

We laid in silence while I mulled over the information he had just uncovered.

"That answers my question from earlier," he breathed, and I felt him relax beside me again.

"What was your question?"

I could tell he was trying to stay awake just as I was when he yawned, I didn't want to keep him up but I didn't want to sleep without hearing his question - I had a gut feeling it was important. This was the most we had ever spoken and I was eager to hear anything else he had to tell me.

"If you sent the order to attack the valley," he said carefully, as if the words were striking a match he wasn't sure he should set alight.

"I didn't have that kind of authority. I was told the Quileute Chief led an ambush on a town called Elwha; I was hidden in a bunker in case you broke into Forks."

No wonder Jacob had such a bad reputation, everything I heard about him was a lie, and I believed them - I believed everything I was told. How did the people in Forks believe such a lie? Had they been told the reason for the total shut down? That somewhere in Washington had declared independence - and then it dawned on me.

"We were locked down because they didn't want a revolution." If the city had heard of a revolution in a far off valley, they would have revolted. "Is that where we're going? To the rebellion?" I asked, wondering if there really was a group of people willing to fight against the Cullens.

"I need to get back," was all Jacob would say, his voice husky with sleep.

"Will they be alright with me there?"

"You saved me, so they will accept you," he confirmed sleepily, lying his head on the rolled-up fur behind us.

I laid down next to him, feeling like the whole world was tilted at an odd angle. Off-balance. I needed more information from him, but it was readily apparent that Jacob would be out of commission for the next few hours, and I wasn't far behind. My eyes closed against my will, shutting in the questions like fireflies in a jar. How had his tribe been able to defeat the Cullens? Would the Originals who worked so hard to claim their freedom risk welcoming the runaway queen of Washington?

"I hope so," I whispered to myself as sleep took us both to the land of dreams.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Hello all! I know I've been MIA. I apologize for the wait, working in hospital billing at this time is a little (understatement) stressful. I hope everyone is doing okay during this tough time and thank you for taking time out of your day to drop in on chapter 7. This chapter was a bit of a challenge, but the next few chapters should be easier to get into. I am aware this chapter may have mistakes ¯\\_(**ツ**)_/¯

I'd like to thank **Lizzolukosco **both for her hard work in healthcare and her expertise on this fic, if it weren't for her, this chapter may have gone a while longer without being posted (I may have distracted us). She has completed her masterpiece **What If?** and I highly suggest you check it out and leave her some love.

Thank you to anyone reading and those of you who review! InaV, LunaM303, Twin268, and my guest(s), you guys rock! Your thoughts make my day brighter. Enough of my extremely long author's note, now on to the chapter.

**Disclaimer: **I really hope you don't believe for a moment that I own anything associated with Twilight.

_x_

_Two days prior._

"King Edward, I promise you she's alive. I feel it," Alice assured him as they walked together down the stone corridors of the castle. Rosalie trailed behind them absentmindedly.

Located in the heart of the castle, the council room overlooked all of Forks. From there, you could see the houses huddling closer and closer together as they converged into the heart of the city - the castle, miles above it all, where the royal family looked down upon their subjects. The halls felt cooler than usual, darker even, but this brought Edward comfort. He preferred the shadow. It was better for doing nefarious deeds.

But even this small comfort did not satisfy him. His whole world was crashing down over him.

"Alice, she disappeared on the same night as that mutt," Edward growled gruffly. Not a single soul knew where his wife was, but Edward had a good idea of what had happened. "He must have taken her for good measure."

"Surely, he did – all the way from the dungeons," Rosalie smirked, irritating Edward even further. He had told her many times; he and Isabella were asleep when Chief Black overpowered the guards in the dungeons and crept up the castle.

"Rose, do your best to keep to yourself during this meeting, please. We have important guests today."

"King Edward, you know they'll ask many questions. They're just as worried for her safety as you are – as we all are," Alice tried her best to ease his black temper. She hadn't seen him this distraught since the night of the Original attack.

"And who are they to ask questions of their King?" Edward snapped, hissing under his breath as they passed a servant who pressed herself up against the wall to let them pass.

"I hope you're ready to answer to her keepers, Edward." She knew her brother to be impulsive, and had heard from the housekeeper that he had been screwing one of the scullery maids the previous night, so she suspected his tale to be false, but worried he may antagonize their guests if she made him too cross.

"Isabella is _my_ wife - _your_ Queen. She doesn't belong to them anymore. Not for a long time."

"So, stop talking about her like she's property," Rosalie muttered to herself.

The three turned a corner and continued down the long hall, nearing the council room.

_They are here to help you, do not fear them._ Edward reminded himself of his mantra; each time they visited they would set his nerves ablaze and give him goosebumps. _You are their King, you are in control._

The three siblings entered the council room. The council room was used for discussions within the Cullen family and their highest officials. This was where Edward and General Newton planned the attack at Elwha with Alice and her husband, Jasper, as well as what lands would be settled, and which sibling would control it. Though Edward had expected to wait on his guests for some time, they were already in attendance, gathered around the grand oak table – the Volturi.

Seated at the grand table were none other than Aro, Marcus, and Caius. Aro sat with a delighted, sinister smile on his face. Caius glared at the royal procession of Cullens as they entered the room. Marcus was staring vacantly at the city, his head turned completely to the side, as if he weren't listening. Caius's wife, Athenodora, and Aro's wife, Sulpicia, were also in attendance, seated against the wall behind their husbands, on long, tongue-shaped lounge chairs obviously taken from another drawing room for their comfort. The twins Edward had come to learn to ignore out of fear, Alec and Jane, were in their usual defensive position, between the Volterrean Ladies and the contingent of the guard.

"I wasn't aware the meeting had started without the King of Washington."

Aro had taken the seat at the head of the table, where Edward would have sat had this not been a meeting with the Volturi. Instead he took a seat at Carlisle's right, opposite of Jasper on his left.

"We were prepared to explore options with the King ten minutes ago, but he insisted we wait for his son's arrival," Sulpicia chimed in from behind Alec.

"Why don't we start now that Edward has joined us, please."

"Of course, Carlisle. We have come to check in on Queen Isabella before, when it seemed her safety here came into question. However, with her missing, it may be time to reconsider our allegiance with Forks City," Aro suggested pointedly.

"We've been allies since before Edward and Isabella's marriage," Esme pointed out.

"Isabella's safety and comfort were promised to us since we supplied her to you as a queen before we were able to fully realize her abilities. Perhaps we should have continued her conditioning before fully relinquishing her," Caius said, smirking.

"Isabella's abilities were not a priority while in Forks. This city is the safest place in Washington," Edward grumbled. His retort did not shake the Volturi. He knew he was not to take them lightly, but he was wearing thin on patience. He needed their help. Immediately.

"Apparently not," Aro said, his voice still chipper and full of insincere cheeriness. "If she was able to disappear without a trace during the night."

"My son and the Queen were sleeping when the Quileute Chief snuck in and kidnapped her."

"Is that so?" Athenodora chuckled lightly. "Are you sure she didn't run off with a man who could please her?"

"My love," Aro sighed, still smiling. "Please don't make light of the King's fragile state. He must have been incapacitated by the savage, if he was unable to fight him for his bride," he added, with a pointed look at Edward's clean, unbroken face.

"She was kidnapped!" Edward blurted, unable to stop himself. "My wife did not run off with that heathen. She was kidnapped in her sleep."

"How did he come to be in your custody in the first place?" Sulpicia asked, speaking in a high, bubbling soprano voice that reminded Edward of candy he hadn't been allowed to eat when he was a child but stole from the kitchens anyway. "I thought the Quileute had fled far from Forks City."

"He was brought for trial on her name day. She was frightened when the guards brought him to the party, so she asked to spare him," Edward explained smoothly, no hint of deceit in his tone.

"He was brought here by _your_ men?" Marcus suddenly asked, turning his head sharply to the table.

Edward hadn't known he was even listening; but he was aware of Marcus's aversion to the Quileute. According to Carlisle, he had a fear for their mysterious capabilities. Before this conversation could make a turn for the worse, Edward backtracked.

"He was only brought for trial; he would have been executed."

"Which would have angered their tribal elders. Don't you ever think before you act?" Marcus growled, then turned his head back to the balcony, looking disgusted and uninterested.

"He was found in Northern Washington country my general was right to escort him in, especially since the Elwha territory misfortune," Edward replied through his teeth, seething with rage at the way the Volturi spoke about him and his wife.

"Yes, thank you for reminding me of another pressing matter," Caius said coldly. "We heard conflicting reports of the Battle at Elwha. We would like to hear directly from the source for what happened."

Aro turned to face Edward directly, giddy with excitement, as Caius demanded an explanation.

"A new city by the northern border claimed independence. We squandered them –" he began.

"They demolished our forces, Edward," Jasper corrected, though it wasn't his turn to speak.

Like a bell ringing in his mind, Edward heard a mental vibration from Jasper's direction – and he got the point. Though his words were blunt, the subtle mental push from his brother-in-law to be truthful was hard to ignore. Their guests were powerful, he should have been minding his words, but he was struggling to maintain composure.

"We lost the territory," Edward said quickly. "We cut our losses and retreated. There were too many savages."

"How many?"

"Tribes from all over the country migrated north, to the valley just before Nature's Territory. The terrain is unlivable, so the loss is meaningless, really. But if you could spare some of your own men, it's possible we could be rid of them, finally."

"No," Caius flatly denied the young King their assistance. "We're not interested in your pathetic battles. The Originals abandoned what land they had left to avoid conflict. Frankly, we should follow suit and leave them be."

"Are you suggesting we allow the Savage Chief to kidnap the Queen of Washington?" Carlisle said, astounded. After working alongside the Volturi for years, he couldn't believe his peer's words.

"As it seems, she may be better off with the savages than here among the nobility," Aro retorted.

"Isabella is mentally capable of caring for herself. Her talents were quite impressive - though she lacks the physical strength to throw off others - with enough focus she can subdue an attacker. Although, with the queen's disappearance, perhaps we should reconsider the functionality of Washington's imperial structure," said Jane, grinning wickedly at Edward from across the table.

"Young Jane," Aro cooed, patting her head delicately. "We cannot expect young Bella to hold her own against savages, as untrained and raw as her talent was when she left us."

Edward was unaware of the extent of the sorcerous capabilities Isabella possessed. Had he married a witch? The Volturi had never mentioned that Isabella had such powers. If he'd known, he might have treated her better. No matter, regardless of what she was, he had the sense that Marcus knew far more than he let on, and Edward was curious to hear exactly what it was that made the Quileute so dangerous.

"They're not savages, Aro," Marcus interrupted, returning to the conversation at the table as if he had never left it. "Dangerous beyond comprehension, indeed, but their society is far more organized and powerful than our own. Take the Forks civilization for example, starving and homeless," he added before looking back out the window, to the city of Forks, where the townspeople rotted in the streets and begged for food on corners.

"To add to the calamity, the castle throws balls and holds executions like it's a coliseum," Caius added.

"Perhaps we can all come to an agreement. Today, hopefully," Carlisle said, hoping to bring the meeting back on track.

"Have you sent out a search party?" Marcus sighed, sounding bored.

"She disappeared during the night on her name day, two days ago. Our men are scouring the city as we speak, and we've sent messenger birds for our knights and archers around the country." Jasper informed them, hopefully relieving some of the pressure off Edward before he had another outburst.

"If you lend us some of your own talents, perhaps we could rescue her sooner," Edward pleaded, hoping for any generosity of theirs. The Volturi's involvement could either save or end his marriage.

"Pursue her if you must but keep away from the North. If you have to travel so far, she's already gone." The room fell silent for a moment, the thought permeating the air until it was thick with implication.

"No, the North is so far away," Alice suggested, "there's no chance she's gone that far."

"Would the Chief not attempt to reunite with his tribe? They're hiding in the North now." Aro considered, though he did not appear as pained as Edward.

"That doesn't mean he'd take Isabella with him," Esme's quiet voice broke through with a tone that could only be classified as that of a worried mother. "How could you be so sure?"

"We're not," Jasper said, his voice echoing in the tall chamber. "But perhaps he feels he will be at an advantage if he takes her with him." Edward's heart sank at the thought of his beautiful bride forced to cohabitate with a beastly excuse of a man. At least, if given the chance, she could find an escape and wait for him to retrieve her from the countryside. There may be hope after all…

"And if he's smart, he will keep her alive until he reaches free land." Jasper added, his eyes meeting the Volturi's. Jasper has not bothered to spare anyone's feelings - all business as usual whenever the Volturi arrived for a visit.

"You believe they'll run back to the independent city?" Edward asked, dubious of Jasper's assumptions.

Now the real strategic conversation began – finding their Queen if she should escape the city's walls would be nothing short of a quest in its own right. If they escape the city, they could rule out any travels south, but the North was a vast land of mysteries. No doubt, with the numbers the Originals have, making the trek so far may cost them more men than they can spare, Washington country or not.

He knew what they were suggesting. Let Black get away? With his wife? Heavens forbid if he defiled her. She would be ruined. He'd murder whoever he has to in order to prevent that from happening. He could, however, assign his own team of men, trustworthy and stealthy enough to recover Isabella by whatever means necessary.

"Edward, if you believe bringing hell and high water on those Originals will solve your problems, think again. You'll be digging your own grave."

"And what of your special abilities? Have you not been gathering an elite group for cause such as this?"

"Their purpose is for keeping order. Protection for Volterra's citizens from street dwellers, rapists, and other criminals. To protect the city from a vengeful attack, from the Quileute in particular. Their history is legendary. You settled on their land; did you think they would like that?" Marcus snapped.

"They took my queen!" Edward roared, throwing his chair on its back behind him with a boisterous _thud. _

"What you want is a war. We will not participate."

"Why not? What was the purpose of the alliance if you wouldn't be prepared to assist in a crisis?"

"We've attempted to assist you in your 'crisis,'" Caius sneered. "Feed the homeless, encourage faith in the Gods. We gave you a gifted queen, one capable of protecting your family from an attack. One who pursued charitable work; and you beat her into near submission. We supplied the city with enough money to lift poverty, and instead you hosted galas and elitist festivals."

Aro stood up swiftly, placing his shoulder on Caius' shoulder, ready to deliver his final judgement on the matter.

"Let me recount our reasons for withdrawing our help," he began. "You allowed the remaining tribes to gather beyond your reach, you lost a soon-to-be city in a supposed uninhabitable environment, were forced to retreat because you underestimated their power, and now you expect to be assisted in a lost cause."

Besides Carlisle, Edward tensed to launch himself across the room at Aro. _I am not a child, _was bubbling on his lips, a guttural growl growing in his chest. _I will not be treated as less than the King I am,_ he thought triumphantly, positioning himself to leap up onto the table.

Just as he was about to jump, he was halted from making any other movement. His body stood rigid, locked in place as his insides warmed. Edward knew what followed, the incessant heat, then a burning sensation, like sparks being set off on every inch of his body. It was only a discomfort now, but the petite girl staring him down from across the room had only just gotten started.

"This meeting isn't over yet. Jane, please sit him down," Aro ordered the smaller twin standing guard in front of Athenodora who smiled viciously. With unwavering focus, she directed the king's body with her eyesight. Edward collapsed as he regained control, though he felt the impact of his own body weight being thrown back to him.

"Help us find Isabella - that's all we ask." Jasper pleaded on behalf of his brother-in-law. "No battles; we understand this country does not need a war. I know of some reconnaissance tactics; we can implement a search plan within Forks and expand if need be."

As the Volturi contemplated the suggestion, Edward focused on collecting his thoughts, enraged that he was bested by the Volturi's guard, a girl younger than his own wife.

"We will lend you a few men -"

"Only a few men for a missing queen?"

"Let's not forget you have not held up your end of our agreement. We have yet to see an even exchange for the queen you lost." Aro eyed Alice over Carlisle's shoulder, where she sat on a loveseat behind him.

"We can make arrangements after Isabella is found," Carlisle pressed, hoping for his son's wife to be found, and unwilling to part with his daughter.

"So long as we can have it in writing. Jane and Alec could join your efforts once we arrive back in Volterra. After Isabella is found, arrangements will be made for having lost our ward and not having fulfilled your end of the barter."

"That would be acceptable."

"Be forewarned, we will not come to blows with Originals. The Quileute come from an ancient line of spirit warriors. We will not lose our family members for your marital shortcomings," Marcus said in a grave, even tone.

"The spirit warriors are a myth," Alice whispered, barely audible. Tales or the Original's histories and powers had circulated the city once word spread of the chief's trial, but they all sounded fabricated and exaggerated for entertainment - stories rather than recounted memories.

"So, the young woman with precarious predictions and fortunes doesn't believe in magic or superstition," Caius scoffed as he turned to face Aro, like he had proved a point. "Can you see any advantage for us to find Isabella, at least?" Caius challenged.

"I couldn't see anything involving Isabella since she disappeared."

"How convenient," Caius sneered. "However, the histories are not mythical. You ought to make use of the library you've built and research the tribes you _borrowed_ from. You may find something of use."

"Jane and Alec will return from Volterra once we arrive," Aro concluded, clasping his hands together next to his face cheerily. "In the meantime, finish your search in the city. Hopefully, they are still here. Anyone harboring the Original should be punished." Aro stood, gesturing to the twins to ease themselves as the rest of their visit would not be as serious as this meeting required.

Esme set about making arrangements for tea and lighter conversation as the Volterrean ladies stood and made their way over to the balcony where their husbands soon followed. Carlisle took advantage of this moment to regain any semblance of control over the situation.

"Rosie, would you be so kind as to send a maid to set up the twins' quarters," Carlisle suggested to his daughter, though it came out more as an order. Rosalie stood and departed towards the maid's bunks, near the kitchens so many floors below them.

Carlisle turned to Edward. "Alice, please allow us a moment alone," he said without looking in her direction.

Just as Rosalie had left, Alice followed, likely to peer into her glass orbs and coax out some sort of premonition, one that would make her feel more useful.

"Edward, they're being generous in lending us their guards. Do concern yourself with making rational decisions," Carlisle whispered, his eyes darting over to where the Volturi were milling about on the balcony.

"How can I think rationally when my wife has been stolen? What if he forces himself on her?"

"You heard the Volturi; Isabella was trained to know how to defend herself."

"Isabella can't fight. She can barely walk five paces without tripping over herself."

"She's out of practice, I'm sure she's within the city walls still. Be optimistic."

"Right," Edward drawled sarcastically. "If Esme had disappeared, how would you react? Who would you turn to?"

"My people. My family. Remember that while you are a husband, a son, and a brother, you are most importantly the King of a great country. Your people should be your first priority. Place more trust in Jasper's leadership. They will find her soon."

Edward left to pace the halls, settling on walking to his chambers to sulk alone, away from prying eyes.

Isabella had everything here - a castle, servants, and all the books she could read - all she had to do was obey him and keep quiet. Was that really so difficult? If she was so powerful, she would have used her magic to kill the savage and return by now.

He didn't know if she was powerful, or defiled, or even alive; but King Edward knew one thing. The Quileute Originals would pay for this. The Volturi had been clear on where they stood, but Edward couldn't leave this alone. They would find Isabella and Chief Black would answer to him for his crimes…

Edward could remember the day he met his bride like it was yesterday.

He was on his way back up from the summerlands with Carlisle and Esme. Since he was first in line for the throne, it was imperative they find the perfect wife for Edward. Edward, for his part, was treating the excursion like a vacation. The summerlands were nice, but Edward found the heat and the warmth unappealing. He was looking forward to spending some time in the Northern city, at the base of the snowy mountains.

"They said they have the perfect wife for you Edward. Try not to disappoint her. We must make a good impression on them," Carlisle cautioned.

"She's Volterrean, then?"

"I believe so."

Carlisle did his best to raise his son, but nevertheless, he was a brat, and-though the chariot was adorned in gold and silver and manned by the best coach driver in the city of Forks-they could still feel any and all bumps in the road, which had Edward quite displeased.

"You must be excited. You'll be meeting your future wife today," Esme said, trying to sound optimistic.

"I just hope she's prettier than the women in the south."

"How could you say that?" Esme exclaimed. Like a whisper in his ear, he knew she was offended, almost out of instinct. "Those ladies were beautiful! Each one would have made you a wonderful wife."

"They seemed off," Edward replied, staring out the window with a frown. "None of them were right."

"Edward, you could always court one of the ladies from Forks, they're educated and well mannered," Esme insisted.

"Esme, you know they need to be from a prestigious family. I can't take just any woman as my wife."

"Right," Esme replied. Edward thought he could hear an exasperated sigh, but her lips didn't move until she continued. "Well, be kind to the Lady of Volterra. I have a good feeling about today."

"Esme," Edward sighed, "you have a good feeling about every day."

"I know, it's wonderful, isn't it?" She asked rhetorically, picking up her bright demeanor like a hat, placing a smile on her face and a song in her heart. Edward often admired his mother's ability to bring cheer wherever she went. He hoped his wife in Volterra would be something like her.

The three Cullens were escorted out of their carriage and into the Voltarrean city capitol building. In Volterra, everyone had a home, be it shared or private. There were kitchens for anyone lacking food, and food was divided out in rations. There was a lot more order here than in Forks, though Edward was loath to admit it.

There was zero tolerance for crime. That was the main reason for training those Aro decided were "gifted." The Volturi used them to keep order. Under Carlisle's rule, there had been an influx of people into Volterra from Forks, desperate to find solace from their poverty and starvation.

There was another motive for the Cullen's visit besides introducing Edward to Lady Isabella. Today, Carlisle and the Volturi would draw a strengthened alliance, defining the terms of their partnership as well as discussing the arrangements of powers and jurisdictions.

The Cullens were escorted from their carriage into the castle's main drawing room where the Volturi and their guard were awaiting their arrival. In addition to their gloomy hosts was a young woman who anyone could tell did not belong. Unlike her hooded counterparts, she wore a delicate periwinkle silk dress, her hair twisted into high braids that settled on her high cheekbones, tendrils of dark mahogany hair framing her face. Her eyes were a smooth caramel color, shaped like almonds. She stood up straight, her hand placed on the shoulder of a seated Caius, apprehensive of the man she knew she was to marry.

"King Carlisle, Queen Esme, and Prince Edward." Aro nodded at his guests in turn. "We would like to present to you Lady Isabella, our esteemed ward." Aro gestured to the young lady as she bowed her head and smiled earnestly.

"It is an honor to make your acquaintance," Edward greeted politely, nodding his head in a small bow.

She didn't move to shake hands, staying comfortably perched behind Caius. Edward caught her eye for a quick moment before she looked away, color tinting the skin of her cheeks. Esme began walking around the room to greet and shake hands with the Volterrean ladies.

"It's our pleasure, Lady Isabella," Esme enthused, going up and shaking her new daughter-in-law's hand. "We've traveled far from Forks to be able to meet you and have our regular reunion. We haven't all been together for quite some time-Lady Athenodora, Lady Sulpicia." She nodded toward the women sitting beside their husbands.

"Yes, well, that changes tonight," Caius snarled, gesturing for their guests to sit.

"Lady Isabella, would you accompany me for a stroll on the grounds? I feel this conversation will turn highly political very soon."

Edward smirked, looking to meet Isabella's gaze again, although the young beauty looked to Caius, waiting for his approval. With his slight nod, Isabella looked up and confirmed. Before they could exit, they heard a cold voice from behind them.

"Do accompany them, Alec. Our briefing should keep us occupied until supper."

The tall, burly man standing behind the members of the Volturi met Caius's gaze before following behind Edward and Isabella. Edward thought he could read the man's thoughts with how clearly they were written on his face. Aw, c'mon, Alec's eyes whispered in Edward's ear, why do I have to miss all the fun?

While the prince was highly intrigued, he kept the conversation light, wanting to avoid putting her off. While she was more attractive than any of the other women he met in his search for a bride, she was much less extroverted and seemed less exuberant than the rest in his presence.

They walked in silence towards the main doors of the castle and down the front steps. Edward called for a carriage, and the three climbed in, with Edward and Isabella sitting together on one bench and Alec on the bench opposite the pair. They were all quiet as mice in the attic of a church during mass. Edward watched as Isabella fidgeted with her hands from the corner of his eye. He turned to face the coachman.

"Let us off by the garden," barked the prince.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Edward noticed the lady catch her breath with each jostle of the carriage. She sighed as she looked up towards the sky and he wondered, for the first time in his life, what was she thinking about? He had never had to guess before; he had always been able to instinctively know what those around him were thinking.

When they arrived at the garden, the prince was less than pleased. As he climbed out, he could clearly see others walking around, perusing the paths and flora just as he had planned to do. Though this would never have happened in Forks, Edward did not say so. Instead he turned to assist Isabella down, ignoring Alec as they began their stroll.

Much to Edward's astonishment, the few common folk in the garden had the nerve to greet Isabella. Had he been wrong to assume they were peasants, or were they acquaintances? Isabella acknowledged each one in like fashion.

"I can see you enjoy these interactions."

"I do."

"Forks' garden is much more private. If you were to visit, I could arrange for lunch and wine from our private vineyard in the summerlands." She raised her eyebrows and he couldn't tell whether she was really considering it or if he had overstepped his boundaries. Had that been too familiar? Women in the southern cities ate up his charm like coyotes, but Isabella didn't swoon as they had.

"I think I'd enjoy the company, though we may have another chaperone."

"Your keepers get the final say, of course, but there's plenty to busy them in Forks."

"It's a comfort to see the same faces," Isabella remarked. "This is a community garden, one of seven in Volterra. The people are allowed to plant whatever they may need and collect with the seasons."

Suddenly, Edward started caring less for their stroll. He could hear Alec's footsteps as he trailed behind them. Forks' garden was much nicer and much cleaner. Before he got the chance to insult her garden, he changed the topic of conversation. He could tell she cared for her people, which was a worthy trait of a queen, but Forks just didn't function that way.

"So, you spend much of your time here?"

"No, I mainly stay in the palace, to participate in city vigilance training."

"You don't mean to say they'd make you patrol the city like an officer? They make such a beautiful woman do a knight's work?" It was supposed to be a compliment, but he saw her nose scrunch up.

"Everyone in this city is to contribute to society. Those who don't jeopardize the safety of its citizens."

"Is the training you endure for a campaign? Lady Isabella, you can be honest with me."

Had the Volturi fed her lines to say or was she always so righteous? He realized Alec's steps had grown slightly louder during their talk, so he didn't press her. Edward found it irritating that he couldn't be alone with his bride-to-be, but he had to follow Washington's customs, no matter how restrictive they were. She turned to look over her shoulder before ignoring his question.

"Tell me about Forks then, is it a safe city?"

"The castle is impenetrable. There are guards around for our safety at all hours."

"And the city streets?"

"We hardly venture onto the streets; our focus is guarding the castle from intruders." He chuckled. The Cullens wouldn't waste their trained men on babysitting peasants. Officers patrolled around the city, but to have them permanently stationed to one area was unheard of.

"Oh," she muttered, continuing down their path. They continued walking for a while before they found a bench to sit on. Bella averted her gaze from the sun, which blared down on them.

"Perhaps we could sit in the shade at another bench?"

"Sure." Isabella stood and led them to the closest bench she could find that provided cool shade. Alec took a seat at the bench to their right, many feet away, and glaring up at the sun as it peered overhead, allowing them some semblance of privacy for the moment.

"May I ask, when is your coronation?" Bella wondered.

"Some full moons away, no more than three," Edward replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Any nerves?"

"Of course not," he scoffed. "This is my birthright. When I rule, I can make Washington a much finer country. I have plans already, and I'll be waiting to execute them."

"You've piqued my interest," Bella replied. "What sort of plans?"

"Expansion. Much of Washington has remained untouched, or undiscovered. We can build towns and villages for anyone in need of a home. We have friends looking for somewhere to settle, and there are lands with potential to be the next great city."

"You want to establish new cities? Wouldn't that take years?"

"There are ways Isabella, you only need to think harder. Don't you have plans? What is your dream?"

"I don't really have dreams. I'd like to live peacefully, away from crowds and suspicious characters," she said, turning slightly to indicate she meant Alec. Then she giggled. "I used to dream of becoming a queen when I was younger, but that was child's play."

"You're a beautiful lady," Edward said softly, only loud enough for the two of them to hear. He never spoke like this when others were around, but when it was just him and his betrothed, he let her see a side of himself he had never before explored. "You should have known a prince would take you as his queen one day."

Isabella feigned a smile and looked out upon the horizon. Carlisle, Esme, and the Volturi would be midway through their meeting by now, and Edward planned on using the rest of his time to understand her thoughts.

"You know, sometimes, dreams do come true."

_x_

**A/N: **I know there's no JxB here, but I thought this was necessary for context. I'll do my best with the next few chapters but realistically speaking, I'm retaking calc online, working full-time, and as my pen name may suggest, I do need some more Zzz's. Until next time.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Hello all! I hope everyone is doing alright, it's a tough time for everyone still. I am so sorry for the hold-up but thank you for dropping in on chapter 8! Thank you to my wonderful co-writer/beta **Lizzolukosco **:) as always.

To my readers, I appreciate the time you have taken to stop by and read this chapter, it means a lot to me!

**Disclaimer: **I really hope you don't believe for a moment that I own anything associated with Twilight.

_X_

We woke up by midday to the blinding light of the sun streaming in. Jacob laid beside me, in a peaceful slumber, though he must have sensed my gaze since his eyes fluttered open. We had fallen asleep side by side from the effects of the mortal's rest and woke up entangled as a result. I must have been drawn to his body heat during the night. I felt the cloth of my blouse plastered onto my back, like a second skin creating a barrier between his stomach and my spine. I found it hard to believe I was in the same, chilly house we had fallen asleep in.

I could feel his broad chest pressed against my back and I imagined the deep, intricate patterns of his tribal tattoo as I have seen it before. I peered behind me and gaped at the sight of those dark swirls over his smooth skin and the proud wolf on his bicep, the tattoo artist could not have chosen a more perfect canvas.

I twisted further to steal a glance at his face to find him smirking. Feeling caught, I immediately pulled away and stood up, wiping off any dirt from my skirt.

"I suppose you're feeling better," he said huskily, a yawn clawing its way out of his mouth.

I wasn't, he almost distracted me enough to keep me from thinking about the events of last night. I craved motion; to run away from the memories dancing behind my eyelids. That and my cheeks were still burning from getting caught ogling him as I would a hot meal.

"Good enough to keep riding," I replied, my voice empty.

He remained lazily perched on the blanket we had acquired the day before, looking up at me as I adjusted my ruffled clothes. I was growing more aware of the soreness where I had hit my head. I reached up and winced when my fingers brushed up against the large lump that had formed overnight.

"Maybe we should take it easy," he said as he eyed me.

"Should we stay a while longer?" I quirked an eyebrow, tempting him to suggest we stay longer in this desolate shelter.

"No, probably not," he said with a sigh. He finally stood, his pectorals directly in front of me now. "Are you sure you're alright after last night?" He asked, his voice still gruff.

"I'd feel better if we left," I said, taking a step back, needing space from the immense muscles staring me in the face.

"Sure, sure. I'll pack up our things and we'll head out."

I followed suit, packing what little belongings we had and hauling myself onto Roma. Jacob picked up the immense sword he had left in the corner of the room last night and fastened it to his hip. He also redressed himself in his shirt and coat which I was just as thrilled about as I was over him keeping the sword. That very sword could have killed me or him yesterday, and instead, it rested in the holster against Jacob's hip, hanging as naturally as another limb, ready to be unsheathed at any moment. We had come close to death once again; how soon until we found ourselves in another fight for our lives?

_x_

We had been riding since morning and I was sure if we didn't get there by the end of the week, we might never arrive. I never thought Washington would be so large. Then again, I'd never been anywhere besides Forks and Volterra my entire adult life.

As Jacob rode ahead of me, I watched the tail end of his braid bump against his back and the curve of his rear. I hadn't been bothered to ask him how he was after yesterday, having been so occupied with my own dizzying thoughts. I had bared my soul last night while barely learning anything about him. Was he still hiding things from me? It had taken him days just to tell me where we were going. What else could he be keeping to himself?

"Are we almost there yet?" I asked for the tenth time that hour.

Jacob didn't bother answering.

We hadn't strayed too far from the river, having committed to its direction since we first found it on our journey. Each cold whip of the wind chilled me to my bones. Had I not been wearing layers, it would have been unbearably frigid.

Jacob, however, seemed to be fairing fine in his thin, black pants and leather jacket, like the cold had no effect on him. I continued to watch him as he rode ahead of me, unbelievably gracious in his movements. I wouldn't have noticed when he halted all movement if I hadn't almost crashed into him on Roma.

"What happened-" He held out a hand to silence me.

"There are people coming," he explained in a low whisper.

His grip tightened around his reins as he tugged Woody to his left, turning around and making towards the forest's edge. I followed after him, not wanting to be left behind by, ironically, the only person left for me to trust.

"Ay!" I heard a woman call as Roma galloped off to the forest, though I wasn't sure if they had seen me.

"Benjamin, there's someone here," I heard the voice cry out again.

"Stay back - James, come here!" A man I assumed to be named Benjamin called back, his voice growing closer as I looked at Jacob.

"Jacob," I hissed. "What do we do?" I looked desperately to him for help.

"You run, I'll handle them," he said, his voice grim. His eyes were focused on the woods, sliding over the trees the way a guard dog might scan the horizon before getting on its haunches.

"That's ridiculous, we both should run!"

"Then they'll follow both of us." For a moment it looked like he was going to reach for me, but then he continued. "You, go."

He directed Woody back to the river, expecting me to follow orders, but how could I? We had only barely escaped death last night and now we were spotted by an entire group of people.

"I thought we established last night, I will not leave you behind." I asserted, and it was true. I could have run with Roma last night, never to turn back, but then what would I do on my own? Where would I go, and what would happen to him? If I was his responsibility to keep safe then he would be mine too.

When he reached the clearing of the riverside he turned once again and disappointment marked his face when he saw I clearly was not deserting him. I urged Roma closer to where he stood, and though I couldn't see the others, I heard an audible gasp.

"You're Chief Black!" As I steered Roma beside Woody, I came to see just ten paces across from us was a group of two women and three men with two horses in tow.

"Chief Black, it is an honor to meet you," said the taller of the men, with shaggy black hair, as he walked forward. He wore navy blue trousers and a shaggy fur coat. What stood him out were the scars he bore. On the exposed skin of his forearms and around his face were angry, white, puckered lines scratched down his face that I could see from where I sat atop Roma. His bicep was bandaged and I could see the dark stain of dried blood. His counterparts all appeared to be as misshapen as he, aside from the scars on his face, which were long-healed.

Jacob eyed him suspiciously for a moment before he swung his leg over Woody and approached the seemingly kind stranger.

"I'm Benjamin. I've heard a lot about you and your efforts to free Originals. I was inspired by your work." The man held out a hand to shake with Jacob, though he grasped the man's forearm in a familiar warrior's greeting instead.

"We're just trying to survive." His voice was subtly different than I had grown used to. It was more formal, like a diplomatic greeting. They stood like that for a moment, the silence seemed meaningful.

"And whom else do I have the pleasure of meeting?" Jacob continued.

"The pleasure is ours, I assure you. This is my wife, Angela," Benjamin reached his arm out as a tall woman standing by the others moved forward to embrace him on his right. She had wild, curly, dark brown hair held back from her face by a paisley swatch of fabric but otherwise unhindered in its whirling, flowing movements. She wore a simple, puffy shirt tucked into a wide green skirt, and a thick coat was wrapped tightly around her. Though she stood still, her many bangles and jewelry made it seem like she was constantly swaying, dancing on her feet though she did not move from her husband's side.

"And this is Victoria, her husband James, and Laurent. We're part of a resistance group."

"I wasn't aware there was a resistance group," Jacob replied, his voice a strange mixture of polite curiosity and wariness.

"We're lone travelers, but there are groups all over Washington. We recently lost some good men and women." Benjamin's words started confidently but ended whimsically.

"My condolences," Jacob said, though his voice held no remorse. "We didn't expect to find anyone so far off the beaten path."

"Yes, we heard a rumor but had no idea if it was true," Angela said to Jacob, her arm comfortably stationed around her husband's waist. "The capital supposedly captured an Original. You must have come down to retrieve them."

"Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful," Jacob lied smoothly. "We are on our way back."

"To Elwha, is it?" Benjamin guessed.

"Why don't you join us for a bit, we're on our way towards Cullen Township. You might find it familiar, no?" The man further behind holding on to the reins of one of the horses spoke to Jacob.

"We have other plans," Jacob spoke quickly, the words rushed. "We're riding to another tribe." Jacob addressed the far man and turned his attention back to Benjamin.

My lips narrowed. I made eye contact with Angela, hoping against hope these strangers wouldn't ask too many questions. Jacob was clearly lying. To me, or to them, I wasn't sure. But if I was the one he was trusting, then who were these people? And why did he trust the Queen of Forks over them?

"Why don't we join you, then? We could continue gathering whoever would join us in our efforts. Surely, we could find more support with the great Chief himself."

"The Originals of this land are in danger enough." The man visibly swallowed under Jacob's hard glower, but otherwise, did not falter.

"We're building a rebellion, you see. Originals and non-Originals alike"-his eyes darted to me-"to fight against the Cullen settlements and Original displacement." I felt a chill as it ran down my spine at the mention of the Cullens.

"I don't see many Originals among you now." Another stiff response.

"As I said, we've lost some good people," Benjamin replied, his voice growing dark.

"Well, you're in our neck of the woods now, why don't we host you a while?" The man holding the horses offered. He had long dark hair, and an accent I couldn't place - possibly from south of Forks? "We could set up camp together before the sun gets too low. I can't imagine you planned on traveling through the night."

"No, we hadn't. We do appreciate the offer." His words were kind but Jacob's response was bleak, he was far more stoic and cold now, much like the man I first met days ago. While he remained distant, Jacob had been softer with me in these last few days. This was not the same man I had woken up to this morning; this was Chief Black, doing his best to protect me.

_Why? _I wondered. Why didn't he throw me away now? Didn't he hear what they were saying? They were gathering a force to take down the Cullens. That was what he wanted, wasn't it?

"Great!" Angela beamed, "We've come up with a system. Two of our riders were going to run ahead and hunt while we gathered our resources. You're welcome to join them or stay with us. Your friend could probably help us gather some vegetables and tow along some wood on her steed," she smiled warmly towards me.

I looked to Jacob for guidance. We'd be splitting up, and I'd be alone with strangers. What if I was recognized? Though if any one of them had noticed who I was by now, they didn't say so.

"I can go ahead as well." He turned back to see my appalled expression, but I could tell an idea struck him. "My wife should probably stay behind and help the ladies."

_Wife? _I hadn't expected that at all, but Jacob had seemed to be a step ahead of me. I couldn't tell what he had planned, but I knew that if he agreed for us to separate, it was for a good reason.

"I think that would be best," I agreed, though my voice gave away my hesitation. I hopped off Roma and walked up behind Jacob to face the pair across from him.

"Hi, I'm Angela." She held her hand out for me to shake, which I gracefully shook in a kind gesture. "This is my husband, Ben."

"I'm Marie."

"That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you."

"Well, let's get moving before we can't catch a damn thing." The blonde, long-haired man behind Benjamin exclaimed before climbing on one of their horses. He gave the red-haired woman, Victoria, a peck on the lips and the man with the accent followed after him.

Jacob approached me similarly, his arms cradled my small frame in a way he never had, and he dipped his head as far down as he could before he gruffly spoke.

"At first doubt, run north." His voice was stone cold, and as his arm encompassed me I could feel the heavy weight of his words. His tone juxtaposed with the way he held me lovingly, tenderly.

Then he surprised me and laid a soft kiss on my forehead. It was quick, but warmed me from the crown of my hair to the tip of my toes until I felt light-headed and flushed red, soothing away my nerves.

"Alright lovebirds let's move it," Angela said, lacing her fingers with mine as she pulled me away. I glanced back at Jacob who stood in place before trekking off into the wilderness with the other men with Woody in tow.

"How did you manage to tame a wild dog like Black?" The red-haired woman excitedly gasped, eyes wide with curiosity.

"Excuse me?" I was pulled straight out of my boggled mind, and back to reality.

"I didn't know he was married. I heard he was beastly - savage, even."

"Savage?" Fury ignited in my core, slowly building. Jacob, a savage? "How _dare _you?" The memories of the rumors I heard within the walls of Forks flooded back. I was reminded of the cruel attitude of lowlife city folk towards Originals.

I was angrier than I thought I would be and I immediately found myself back in the castle's grand hall, on my throne as Edward brought in another Original to be slaughtered. The world around me was silent as I rewatched another person fall to their demise. Edward smirked as he watched, the crowd raved, and I sat still. Over time, I had grown to tolerate it all, I was desensitized, but at this moment, on edge as I was, that memory shook me to my core.

It was only a week ago that I thought him beastly, too, after having heard he killed a thousand men. She likely thinks the worst of him as well, but she was supposedly a part of resistance efforts supporting Originals and her leader looked up to Jacob. That seemed highly strange for her to say.

"Oh, no, that's not what I meant. Marriage is just - I didn't think someone like him would marry, especially not someone outside the tribe."

"Please excuse her," Angela interjected, her hand grasping the red-haired woman's arm and pulling her away. "Victoria is from Forks, they're misinformed about Originals. She's still unlearning those stereotypes," she mediated, though it was no more of a comfort.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to insult you," Victoria added from behind Angela. While she was being pulled away, I assessed the risks at hand. She must have left Forks before I did, but she was around long enough to hear the same rumor of the battle at Elwha. She must know by now that Elwha is not a nearby town, but a faraway valley. She may not know about the Queen and Quileute Chief runaways, but she will know what the Queen looks like and that makes her dangerous.

"It was my husband you insulted." I was still seething, I didn't feel like myself anymore.

"That's that city attitude, it's a work in progress," Benjamin chuckled, in a half-hearted attempt to lighten the tension between me and Victoria. "I'll go ahead with Vicky if you don't mind, we can gather wood now and strap it on to your horse here as we go." He pulled Victoria by her wrist, walking into the deep forest.

"Fine," I muttered.

"Marie," Angela said as she tied her dark, curly hair back and out of her face. "You'll want to look for plants like these or roots like this." She pulled some herbs out of the pack she had fastened around her back for ease of carrying. The herbs had rough ends and the roots were easy enough to distinguish.

"Sure, I can do that."

"I see you have a bag already, but take this one, too. We should be able to collect a fair amount in this area of the woods, at least enough to feed us all. We'll walk together so we don't get lost."

"Simple enough," I said doubtfully. I was oddly aware of the increasing distance between Jacob and me, and the longer we were apart, I felt my heart grow heavier in my chest. Collecting roots seemed like the opposite of what I should be doing. I remembered the hard look of his eyes, the stubborn furrowing of his brows. This was what he needed me to do. So I would stick to our cover and wait until we could meet again.

We walked into the woods and though I had lost the direct sunlight by the riverside, I could definitely see the roots Angela had told me to look out for. I thought I had gotten the hang of it when one root, in particular, decided it would not be getting ripped out of the ground. I tugged, wrestling against the earth as it clung to its flower.

Noticing my frustration, Angela placed her hands below mine and instead of pulling up, she tugged the plant to the side and forced it out of the ground with ease.

I followed her lead, pulling at the herbs and roots I could identify. Despite the cold weather, I felt beads of sweat trail down my back as we walked. Angela moved with grace, squatting, pulling roots from the earth in a way that shows she's done this many times before. I took advantage of the peaceful silence to calm myself after the conversation with Victoria earlier.

I had to tolerate that attitude over Originals in Forks, but being away from the city brought me to a state of mind I haven't had since my family was alive. My attitude in Forks had been a survival tactic, I couldn't correct the Cullens and other nobles for their attitude, not without insulting major families and complicating loyalties. But this time was different, not only was that comment degrading, it was a direct insult to Jacob.

It had been the 'savage' comment she made that upset me so, but thinking about it now, there was something else she had said. _I didn't think someone like him would marry, especially not someone outside the tribe._ It hadn't occurred to me that Jacob could already be married to someone from his own tribe, with children even, and I'd be left just as surprised as Victoria. He hadn't mentioned a wife and children, the thought of him having a family waiting for him to return made me feel oddly hurt.

Jacob could have a loving wife and beautiful kids, but I didn't want him to. Not that I want to marry him and have his children, but I didn't want him to be committed to someone else either. Jacob was my key to survival, but maybe it could be something more. We'd come a long way so far, and though he's still very distant, I know now from his embrace before we parted that he has a much softer side. And he kissed me.

Before long, Angela broke our silence. "How long have you and your husband been traveling?"

"Like we said, we came down when we heard of a captured Original."

"Did you know them?"

"No, I didn't. " We fell silent for a few minutes.

"Ben and I have been traveling like this for years now. We were married young, you see. I know you may not be able to travel much, being married to the Chief, but the alone time does wonders for your marriage." Thankfully, she didn't question me further, and I found myself interested in what she had to say.

"What do you mean?"

"We've been away from our families for so long. We're both from east of Forks, so they think more patriotically. Ben and I left soon after being married, and it's been like an extended holiday."

"How did you get into resistance efforts?"

"That was Ben," Angela turned and smiled bashfully. "Ben's always been passionate about equal rights. We ran into some country folk and helped them save a small village of people. He's been dedicated to the cause ever since. We traveled with them after."

"Was that Victoria and her husband?"

"No, that was another larger group from years ago. A lot of them were killed at Cullen Township. We were away in another town." I didn't know where that was, but I hoped we were far from it.

"How did you meet the others?"

"We only recently met them. James Laurent and Victoria were also traveling alone, we thought we'd recruit them. It helps that they already want change for Washington."

"'City folk', you said. What were they doing out this way?"

"All I know is, they were living on the streets in Forks. They had enough of the poor man's city, I guess."

"Oh," I had no more to say about that. I could question more, but I didn't want to seem too interested. I hadn't heard Forks described as a 'poor man's city' but it was incredibly spot-on based on what I saw in my regular outings for prayers with the poor. It's not hard to see why they would have left the city and joined a resistance effort.

Jacob had made a calculated risk in staying with this group tonight. We had no food remaining from Jenks, little supplies, and perhaps this was for the best, however uncomfortable it may be. Jacob would need the benefit of a good night the most. While he had recovered since our first night on the run, he looked like he'd seen much better days. We were tired, hungry, and unsettled after being chased down like the fugitives we were. And maybe it was just my imagination, but he seemed to have lost weight in our few days of knowing each other, most noticeably in his slimming face.

Sleeping together might have been the only real comfort. He was mysterious and hard to read, but in our lighter moments, he was fun to tease and joke with. I had never been in the woods alone, even when I was a child, I'd always had Charlie or Colin. I didn't want to travel alone in this cold forest at night. I've come to depend on him for so much, I hope I haven't been a burden to him. He must be missing his family and friends, and possibly his wife.

I had fallen for Edward's perfection; I wanted to forget where I came from and what I'd been through, willing to see past any flaws and red flags to have the life I thought I wanted. But traveling with Jacob has brought back so many memories, feelings I had stored away to be forgotten. I felt weak around Jacob, but recently he made me feel like I could improve myself. I want to be able to stand my ground against whoever may challenge my wellbeing, against the thoughts of Edward or the Volturi haunting me in my sleep.

Highly aware of the blade slipped under my skirt that Jacob had briefly trained me to use, I continued my search alongside Angela for the roots and herbs.

_x_

As the four of us finished setting up our camp, the other men returned from their hunt with more than enough provisions for the seven of us. James and Laurent appeared first, both carrying carcasses in their hands as they rode in on their horses.

"We should keep these recruits, we're living like royalty tonight!" Laurent yelled happily.

"Not recruits Laurent, they're our guests for the evening," Benjamin called from the tent he set up with Angela, across the campfire from where I had laid down the sheet Jacob and I were to sleep on.

"You don't mind that you're hosted in the woods, Miss Marie, do you?" Laurent smirked, a hand placed at his hip.

"No, sir, this is just what we needed," I called as I allowed myself to relax and sink into the sheet laid over the earth. The feeling was a comfort after being on hands and knees pulling roots for our dinner.

When they came back, the men handed their gathered meat to Angela and Benjamin as I looked for Jacob. Just as I was about to ask where he had gone, Jacob rode into camp on Woody with a few furry carcasses sprawled across Woody's back and another in his hand. Though I was surprised by just how much game Jacob had returned with, it was his gleaming chest and smooth, bare skin that had my attention. He may have lost some weight, but I couldn't deny his ink-clad pecs and abs were still impressive, to say the least. The tribal wolf on his bicep especially stood out as he gripped the reins tightly.

I really thought this man was monstrous only a week ago. He's far more handsome than anyone I've met, the rugged masculine qualities of his only added to the enigma that was Jacob Black. His trousers hugged his thick thighs tightly and his braid perched over his shoulder. He was majestic, riding in smoothly, gaining not only my attention, but all the others' as well.

"Psst," I flushed as Angela caught me ogling Jacob. "So in love..." she muttered to herself and shook her head. "Go help him," she urged and smiled as she whispered from feet away. She already began to slice through the meat and before I could feel nauseous, I turned back to my supposed husband.

"Right," I cleared my throat before walking up to Jacob, hearing Angela stifle her laugh as I left her. Jacob's been resourceful and hunted for us before, but with his hands full, it was clear that he was a natural at hunting. I offered my help by extending a hand to him, afraid he'd accept it and allow me to take a furry critter out of his hands, and was greatly relieved when he declined. Instead, I grabbed his shirt and coat from where he placed them over the saddle.

"Are you alright?" His eyes raked me up and down, searching for any abnormalities.

"Yes, quite. How did it go?" I asked.

I watched him purse his lips for a moment before he responded, almost missing it with my preoccupation.

"It could have been worse. I'll feel better once we leave." I nodded in agreement.

Once satisfied with my appearance, he sat on a log of wood by the fire, where he unsheathed his blade and began to skin his catch. I watched as he expertly worked the knife, careful to avoid cutting out any meat and cutting it into chunks for the stew. With the last two that he skinned, he skewered them and set them aside to roast. Within minutes, our campsite started to smell like the kitchens at the castle just before dinner - oh, what I'd give for a glass of wine right now.

The seven of us ate together around our fire, and as we settled into the night, Jacob remained silent. Victoria split her attention between Jacob and her own husband, occasionally peeking at me. Jacob was either oblivious or pretending not to notice. I guessed he was thinking over our day or how we would excuse ourselves tomorrow.

"What are you thinking about so hard?" I asked as I crawled up next to him at the edge of our sheet, kneeling by his still large frame.

"I'm thinking my family must be worried, we've been away for longer than expected." He turned to face me, reaching for his clothes that I laid behind us; I noticed Victoria finally caved and turned away from us. Benjamin and Angela had gotten comfortable in their tent, the entrance flap still open.

"We'll be home soon. It's been days, we must be getting close." I played along and the corner of his mouth picked up, but not enough to be a smile, just an indication of how he felt.

"We _are _close but we have a last stop to make."

"Not another bar," I teased, rolling my eyes.

"God, no, not another bar," Jacob agreed. "The last one was enough."

The chase played over in my head and I got a pang of the fear I felt when I realized that man would've cut Jacob down if I had been a moment too late. We sat in an uncomfortable silence, and once again, he stared into the fire. I looked around to be sure the others were not paying us any mind and before I could have another flashback, I started again.

"What do you do for fun, Jacob?"

"Hm?" He must not have expected that. "Oh, I, uh - I carve wood, a little."

"A little? How is that?"

He swallowed before he continued. "My father taught me when I was younger. I was pretty good at it, we sat on our porch to carve for hours until I got older and wanted to spend more time with my friends."

"You stopped then?"

"I get to it when I have time. What hobbies did you keep?" _Did, _he said, now that I will never have the same life as I did as a queen_. _What hobbies could I keep now?

"I walked in the gardens, or I read in our library," I spoke quietly, afraid someone might overhear, though Victoria and the other men were engrossed in what seemed to be a great joke. "I couldn't do much and I began to enjoy the time I had to myself." _Away from Edward and his sinister sister, _I almost added.

He knew I had practically raised myself by then, but aside from playing dominoes on the street for money, I didn't get much free time to do anything I enjoyed, especially with the Volturi. I was wondering what he expected a queen did.

"What would you read?"

"I read novels. Mostly love stories and tales of explorers. I read some botanical pieces so I could learn about the plants and herbs in the garden. Volterra's public library had history volumes, Original histories too."

"You read those also?"

"Not all of them were in the common language, so I couldn't read everything."

"You know," he said, sitting back and getting comfortable. When he spoke again, it was in a lower tone, and the bravado was gone. Suddenly we were back to being Jacob and Bella. "There are many Originals in the valley who still don't know how to read in the common language," he continued. "We really need to establish a library or a school for adults to learn."

"I didn't learn until I lived in Volterra," I whispered, though I knew we were as good as alone for now. "I'd never gone to school before. I learned about money from my mother and playing dominoes. And on rainy days when I couldn't play games, I'd visit the library until curfew."

"You're very accomplished. Do you think you could teach someone else?"

"To read and write?"

He nodded. "In the valley," he said as he also looked back at the others also engrossed in their own conversations. "- if you stay with us, that is. We have to record our traditions, you could help with that. Our histories are usually passed down by telling the stories from one generation to another but we'd benefit from having it in writing." He said thoughtfully, no longer smoldering, but now more pensive.

"I think maybe I could. But I've never instructed anyone before."

At this, he smiled. "Would you consider staying with us?"

I hadn't thought over going anywhere else once we found the valley. I knew I could go anywhere I'd like, I just hadn't thought of any possible places for me to be able to live in peace. Wouldn't it be nice to live in a city independent from Washington, without any of the Cullens? I tried to picture a new life as just Bella.

But Jacob had called me the evil queen. Wouldn't they all think of me this way? I would be in a city of Originals and Non-Originals, all tired of the system I stood by and supported as I married its leaders. I didn't even know about half of the Cullen's evil acts, I'd thought Elwha was a small town near Forks.

But where else could I go? Could I even leave Jacob after this? I felt tethered to him in a way I wasn't sure I was comfortable with.

"Hey," he said, pulling lightly on the hem of my skirt.

I huffed heartily, realizing my emotional turn, but glad to hear his voice turn light at my side. I felt his hand gently cover the small of my back as he leaned in closer to me. We may have been on the northern side of Washington and exposed to the chill of the night's breeze, but the warmth of the fire and his proximity were doing something to me. I felt my heart accelerate and the blood rush to my head, and the heat flood over my face. He smiled for what seemed like the first time today, and my heart skipped a beat, then kicked back into overdrive. In this dim light of the campfire, and under the colorful stars in the skies, the sight of him was compelling.

I looked into his eyes, ignoring the muscles of his chest pressing into me now, and his arms holding me closer to him in our false moment of privacy. I was vaguely aware of the others around us, but they seemed to melt away the longer I stared into his eyes. Suddenly, my body was aching for more of him, and I longed to feel how the rest of him would have pressed against me had the others not been around to witness it.

His face was close to mine, a distance small enough to close if I leaned forward. Would it be wrong if I pressed an innocent kiss to his lips?

"I think I would like that," I said, answering both his and my own question.

I really hope he's not married.

_x_

"Bella, get up."

I woke to Jacob speaking hurriedly in a hushed tone, juddering my entire frame by the shoulders with just his large hands. We had fallen asleep at arms-length by the fire.

It was still dark. The fire must have gone out while I slept, my surroundings barely visibly thanks to the dim light that passed through the white canvas of Victoria and James's tent. I fought with my heavy lids to see Jacob's dark figure over me.

"What's wrong?" My eyes could barely open, still groggy with sleep. My head was blank still and I struggled to get my bearings.

"Take this and go." I felt him place something over my head and onto my shoulder, sliding his hands down my arms and yanking me up by my wrists, practically shoving me away from the camp.

"You haven't told me what's wrong–" I tried pulling his hands off me as we walked farther into the darkness until he cut me off.

"Shh, there's no time. I heard them talking. You need to leave, now. Find the river, you understand?" It was pitch black now. His hands traveled from my arms to cradle my face in his warm palms, and I nodded.

"Take Roma and I will find you. Don't stop until you know you're safe." Just this morning, I told him I wouldn't leave him behind, and now, I would be doing exactly that. But it felt much different this time; it was his urgency that made me understand the seriousness of it all. Something had gone wrong, the odd feeling I felt earlier was my warning and I ignored it, completely forgetting to tell him about it. _If he got hurt now, it would be my fault. _

"Will you be alright?" My voice sounded smaller than I ever thought it could.

"I'll be fine."

With a resolute hand, Jacob escorted me to Roma, where he helped me up onto her saddle and watched as we left.


End file.
